Assessing multi-scale vulnerability of fisheries of Vembanad lake, Peninsular India, due to climate change: a stakeholders-based approach

Small-scale sector fisheries associated with tropical wetland were found to be highly vulnerable to various socio-economic, ecological and climatic factors. The present study conducted in Vembanad lake in India attempted to identify and assess vulnerabilities of wetland fishers to climate variability at spatial scale. One hundred and eighty fishers distributed across three villages (Vaikkom, Muhamma and Thycattussery) who were representative of marine, freshwater and brackish water fishers, respectively, were surveyed based on a structured schedule prepared by National Innovations for Climate Resilient Agriculture and ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute. Potential indicators of vulnerability as perceived from survey were segregated under seven drivers such as health, livelihood, social, food, ecological, resource and resource user. These indicators which were represented by attributes were scored, based on fishers’ perception, and were used for identifying the highly contributing drivers of vulnerabilities. Kruskal–Wallis parametric test was used for analyzing the vulnerabilities statistically. The overall wetland vulnerability indices derived from various villages indicated that Thycattussery was highly vulnerable compared to Muhamma and Vaikkom. A transactional analysis across each sampling station indicated that in Vaikkom, fishers were less vulnerable to resource, food security and resource user vulnerabilities in a climate changing context. Poor status of livelihood, social and food related insecurities and resource user-based uncertainties were the factors attributing to fishers' vulnerability in Thycattussery. The fishers of Muhamma experienced greater ecological and resource-based vulnerabilities. The study suggested that a bottom-up approach involving the primary stakeholders (fishers) along with the community will adequately position them to climate change adaptation and mitigation.