Local Adaptation to Climate Change in South India

"A truly impressive work that plugs into an important knowledge gap in the overall global discussion of climate change which so far has been dominated by natural science and hardcore economics. The book is a study of the Pattinavars, a marginalized and traditional marine fishing community in South-eastern India. It focuses on livelihoods and social contexts and argues how concepts of "local adaptation," "vulnerability," and "sustainability" are central to bring into the discussion of climate change as they highlight local coping strategies and community-based traditional knowledge of the natural environment and climate variations. The book is furthermore an important contribution to coastal studies in other parts of the world."

Esther Fihl, Professor Emerita of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies at University of Copenhagen

"As a researcher of climate change adaptation measures being undertaken in South Asia, I find great value in this book. We need high quality, thick descriptions of climate change impacts on this region. This analysis underscores the overlapping vulnerabilities that can impact regions as they face multiple waves of shocks. By framing this study in terms of the region's social-ecological system, Dr. Madhanagopal provides a critical account of how our vulnerable regions are adapting to, and falling victim to, the ever-changing nature of climate and the adaptive capacity of human beings."

Christopher Koliba, Ph.D. Professor, Community Development and Applied Economics Department, University of Vermont (UVM)

"Despite all the adaptation and mitigation efforts, climate change continues to be the primary concern, especially for coastal communities in hard-hit regions – those in the frontline. There’s much to be learned about how communities cope and deal with disaster risk, and vulnerability associated with climate change, and D. Madhanagopal does a great job in portraying this, with the case of a fishing community in South India, Pattinavars. Through thick description and in-depth analysis, the book reminds us that it is the ‘experience near’ people like the fishers of Pattinavars who can tell us a great deal about what it means to live in disaster prone areas, and why it is important to ‘get the institution right’ when dealing with climate change."

Ratana Chuenpagdee, Science Director, TBTI Global Foundation &University Research Professor, Memorial University of Newfoundland

"This insightful and timely work offers a comprehensive analysis of the climate change vulnerabilities and adaptations of Pattinavar marine fishers in South India. Dr. Devendraraj Madhanagopal skillfully illuminates how Indigenous knowledge, local institutions, and gender relations influence survival strategies within this frontline community. This book is essential reading detailing how climate change is affecting people’s livelihoods, and how place-based societies are responding to current challenges."

Brett Clark, Author of The Tragedy of the Commodity and The Robbery of Nature. Professor of Sociology and Sustainability studies at the University of Utah

"This book reminds us that fishing communities have developed livelihoods in coastal areas for millennia. Their traditional environmental knowledge, accumulated through generations, has helped to overcome natural hazards. Their traditional institutions have also helped in this task. However, transformations induced by climate change make us wonder whether this knowledge is still capable of confronting current challenges or how it needs to be intertwined with scientific knowledge. Likewise, the fit of traditional institutions to these challenges is analysed in this book. This book advances in uncovering the social side of climate change and natural hazards using social science methodologies and qualitative analysis focused on the diversity of small-scale fishing populations involved, with a particular focus on women. This is an insufficiently developed field in the literature, and this book constitutes an outstanding contribution."

José J. Pascual-Fernández, Professor of Social Anthropology, Director of the Institute of Social Research and Tourism, University of La Laguna (Tenerife, Spain)

"In the global discourse of climate change and adaptation, there is a massive need to bring the voices of populations to the margin. They have been experiencing climate-related disasters for generations, and in that, they have developed sophisticated yet pragmatic approaches to deal with the impacts of climate change. Dr. Madhanagopal takes us through the vulnerabilities and sociocultural strengths of the community in Pattinavars in this thought-provoking and well-grounded text. This timely book argues for the need to look at climate change impacts and adaptation beyond scientific lenses and the necessity for understanding social, political, cultural, and economic aspects of the lived experiences of communities. This is a critical read for those who are involved in research and policymaking as well as interested in climate change impact experiences of communities."

Janaka Jayawickrama (Ph.D.), University of York, United Kingdom