Climate Change impact on the marine Coastal ecosystem of Kerala (C3-eKerala)

Coastal areas with high population density are on the frontline of the unprecedented impacts of climate change. One of the most vulnerable ones in India is Kerala state’s coast, which is also the most densely populated coastal zone along the country’s western coast. The project C3-eKerala is an Indo-Norwegian, transdisciplinary effort (scientists, policy maker and social/citizen science experts) to assess the impact of climate change on Kerala’s marine coastal ecosystem. The results will support the development and implementation of relevant mitigation plans through the Kerala state action plan on climate change 2023-2030. C3-eKerala will investigate in detail the climate-related changes in sea level and wave-climate and its cascading effects on shoreline changes, sensitive ecosystems such as mangroves and seagrass, and the dynamics and intensity of Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB). C3-eKerala will use a multidisciplinary approach including the integrated use of satellite sensor synergy, in-situ observations, statistical and numerical modeling together with state-of-the-art machine learning methods. We will use the gained knowledge to predict annual shoreline positions until 2050, create an interactive map suggesting seagrass restoration sites, and forecast HAB events along the Kerala coast. We will communicate the project results directly to the coastal communities and elected policy makers via a series of public meetings and workshops. Collaborating with the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, we turn science into actionable plans, addressing climate change for coastal communities. Together, we will develop strategies to mitigate and adapt to the changing conditions, to enhance the resilience of vulnerable coastal communities. In summary, C3-eKerala advances understanding and resilience of Kerala's coastal populations to climate impacts via a comprehensive approach—scientific research, modeling, tech-integration, and community involvement.

Coastal areas with high population density are in the frontline of the unprecedented impacts of climate change. India, one of the top-most densely populated nations of the world has highly vulnerable coastal areas subjected to climate change. Of many in India, one of the most vulnerable is the coast of Kerala state (total length, 593 km) which is also the most densely populated coastal zone in the entire South India (tropical Latitudes lower than 20N). Urban settlement, industrial as well as port establishments in the Kerala coast reside within 25 km to the shore and hence most of the socio-economic exchanges happen here. The project C3-eKerala is an Indo-Norwegian, transdisciplinary (scientists, policy maker and social/citizen science experts) effort to assess the impact of climate change on the marine coastal ecosystem of Kerala, which will support the development and implementation of relevant mitigation plans through the Kerala state action plan on climate change 2023-2030. Using a multidisciplinary approach including the integrated use of satellite sensor synergy, in-situ observations, statistical and numerical modeling together with state-of-the-art machine learning methods, we attribute the impact of climate change on the coastal sea level and ocean waves via changes in the winds and ocean warming, map the observed shoreline changes along the Kerala coast and to predict future coastal shoreline changes and inundations, assess the impact on the structure and functioning of the vulnerable coastal ecosystems like mangroves and seagrass, and understand the impact of climate change induced ocean variability in triggering the Harmful algal blooms. All results obtained are further transferred to the policy makers and the societal stakeholders.