Vulnerability to Climate Change: Mumbai Thane Coast.

Vulnerability to Climate Change: Mumbai Thane Coast.”
CED organised a pilot workshop titled “Vulnerability to Climate Change: Mumbai Thane Coast”on 29^th May 2010. The workshop brought together representatives of fishing and coastal communities, scientists, activists and researchers to discuss vulnerability of coastal communities in the Thane-Mumbai coastal belt, and the
follow up study, awareness and action on adaptation to these challenges.
The workshop was held in three sessions: Climate change: Impact and Vulnerabilities of Fishing Communities, on Impact and Vulnerability Coastal Communities and The Way Forward.
Dr RV Sharma, Deputy Director of Indian Meteorological Department said that the 2005 global mean surface temperature is estimated to be +0.48 degrees Celsius above the annual average in the period 1961-1990 of 14 degrees.He said that explaining climate change is like discovering the motive behind the crime. Our development is such that it is adding to the problem of climate change.
In the session on Climate Change: Impact and Vulnerabilities of Fishing Communities scientists from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Mumbai two fish varietiesTharli (sardines) and another is Bangda (mackarel) are sensitive to climate change.
These two fishes are very important, staple diet for the poor people. While Bangda is now migrating towards the Northern Hemisphere due to temperature rise. Tharli which was restricted to the southern hemisphere is slowly migrating northwards. The total catch in a tropical country remains more or less constant over a period of time. There is succession of fishes. If one fish is not available or it becomes depleted another fish will take that position. We may have to adapt to these changes by changing our fishing technology like size of net, timing and location of fishing. However trawling would have to in any case stop. Currently there is a cap on the total number of licences of trawlers. But this will have to be curtailed drastically, if fish production has to be protected.
RK Patil, President of the National Fishworkers' Forum and representatives of fishermen from Gorai, Palghar and Mumba said
that there was a noticeable depletion in fish catch, and that the problem created by climate change is compounded by other
factors like dumping of industrial waste, oil spills from the oil rigs and other pollutants along the coast.
In the session on Impact and Vulnerability coastal Communities, Prabhakar Nair ICOR spoke of their on-going study besides highlighting the fish catch issues mentioned in the previous session, spoke of the impact of sea erosion, higher sea level particularly high tides on other poor communities particulalry those staying in slums, and informal houses on the coast. The perspective plan of six villages in Dharavi bhet by CSA spoke of the kind of alternative livelihoods, as also the trend towards finding jobs in the services and IT sectors. An interesting perspective from Alternate Realities, Mumbai was that the homeless people in the city who provide some important services particularly in waste management, are most at risk from climate change induced disasters. However they have no identity or locus standii which keeps them totally out of any possible alternative plans and protection.
The workshop decided to continue the vulnerability studies, and also provide for sharing some the learnings, with the communities, through more exchanges at the village level between scientist and fisherfolk and video film. A e-group will also be
created to enable participants to keep in touch with developments on the issue.

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