Climate Change in Odisha, India - SAR-CLIMATE

Rising Tides and Sinking Villages: Odisha’s Battle with Climate Change

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The State of Odisha in India faces severe climate change impacts. In the last 12 years, at least 16 natural disasters have impacted the lives and livelihood of the coastal communities.

Frequent tropical cyclones and floods have intensified sea erosion and doubled vulnerabilities in the coastal districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, and Puri.

A comprehensive vulnerability analysis is needed, encompassing diverse social, environmental, physical, agricultural, and health parameters.

Such assessments and capacity development strategies will strengthen policy implementation, increase the use of scientific and community-based knowledge, and enhance capacities.

Additionally, there is a need to address increasing vulnerabilities in agro-climatic zones. The approach to climate solutions requires coordination mechanisms between practitioners, government agencies, and academic institutions. This will help utilize scientific data, local resources, and knowledge to enhance agricultural productivity.

Members of India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) responding to floods in Odisha in 2019 (Photo by: Dr. Malini Prava Sethi)
A resident traverses through the floods Srirampur Mathasahi Village, Kendrapara district in Odisha (Photo by: Dr. Malini Prava Sethi)

Sinking coastal communities

Rising sea levels caused the submergence of 16 coastal villages, leading to the displacement of 247 people. The sea level along Odisha has risen by 9.5 cm between 1966 and 2015.

The Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project also predicts the possibility of coastal erosion in different areas like the Satabhaya area of Kendrapara district, the Paradip port area, the bank of Jamuna, the beach areas of Puri, the northern part of Gopalpur port.

Solutions like sea walls utilizing geotextile tubes at Pentha in Kendrapara district were initiated to prevent erosion from advancing from the Bay of Bengal.

Although resilience and adaptation activities protect villages, the extent and severity of the erosion are significant.

Take, for instance, the cases of the Podampeta and Ramayapatnam villages of Ganjam district. Podampeta is a site of extreme sea-level events, and since 2015, its tides have been getting more aggressive by the day.

So far, the sea has engulfed 200 houses. Another 100 houses stand in a dilapidated condition. Some fisherman communities now plan to migrate to other states for livelihood.

The sea level along Odisha has risen by 9.5 cm between 1966 and 2015.

Lessons from Odisha

Under the second phase of the ICZM project, the state government plans to deploy geo-synthetic tubes, a large tube-shaped bag made of porous, weather-resistant synthetic material filled with sand to withstand sea waves.

This sets a stage of hope to address climate challenges in vulnerable regions like South Asia. While the world is committed to resilience, climatic impacts are becoming more severe and increasing the communities’ susceptibility.

Under the state initiatives of ICZM, a massive mangrove plantation was carried out. Since roots of the mangroves act as tide breakers, and their foliage provides a buffer for the swift winds and cyclones.

Mangrove restoration and regeneration is practiced globally as an ecosystem-based solution to protect the coast from the impacts of climate change.

Odisha was the first State in the country to have come up with a Climate Change Action Plan. As per the action plan, the Odisha government has taken up the afforestation initiatives using scientific knowledge and methods.

Other steps, such as rainwater harvesting, create green buffer areas for industries. This will not only fight climate impacts but will also reduce pollution levels. The climate action plan initiatives will strengthen institutional capacities to build resilience and coastal capacities.

Dr. Malini Prava Sethi is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Geography at Ravenshaw University in Odisha, India.

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