Promoting livelihood diversification in vulnerable rural coastal communities in India

Coastal rural communities in India face increasing livelihood insecurity due to overdependence on traditional sectors, environmental degradation, and limited diversification. This study focuses on Arattupuzha, a rural coastal community in Kerala’s Alappuzha District, where fishing and coconut farming dominate but are under severe threat from overfishing, climate change, and economic stagnation. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools such as resource maps, Venn diagrams, transect walks, and seasonal calendars with household surveys and key informant interviews. The Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF) guided the identification of livelihood assets, while the Sustainable Livelihood Security Index (SLSI) was used to assess overall sustainability. Findings reveal a heavy reliance on fishing (70% of households) and rising demographic and environmental pressures. Only 25% of households have access to credit, while seasonal flooding and coastal erosion have caused the loss of 30% of arable land. The SLSI score was critically low at 20.23 out of 100, reflecting fragile livelihoods and limited adaptive capacity. Women’s contributions in informal sectors remain undervalued and unsupported, exacerbating existing inequalities. The study highlights the urgent need for inclusive policy interventions that promote eco-tourism, aquaculture, skill development, gender equity, and financial access. It further proposes a phased Resilience Transition Pathway that links structural vulnerability drivers to risk stabilization, livelihood diversification and institutional integration. These findings indicate that livelihood vulnerability is driven by structural rather than sector-specific constraints. These findings offer a transferable framework for addressing similar challenges in other vulnerable coastal settings.