Team members: Al Badush, Anand Rama Krishnan, Kevin B. George, Malvika Tewari, Rohan Arthur, Rajeswari B.T., Somesh S. Menon and Suri Venkatachalam
Alumni: Stella James
Timeline: 2019 - present
Most residents of Lakshadweep Islands depend on fishing or related activities for their livelihood. However, as the weather becomes more erratic and currents shift, the mainstay of open ocean fisheries, skipjack tuna, has become harder to find even though ships are larger and crews are more well-equipped. Against this backdrop, vital concepts like climate change that play out for longer periods get pushed to the fringes.
This project aims to take the first steps to build resilience to climate change by engaging with islanders through exhibitions, dialogues and awareness material to help government officials, youth groups, fisherfolk, educational institutions, and women's collectives, equip themselves with the tools to sustain themselves and celebrate life on the islands.
KADAL KATHAKAL
Carried out in tandem with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Kavaratti, and local Forest Department staff, Kadal Kathakal – meaning stories of the sea, aimed at celebrating the biodiversity of Lakshadweep and raising awareness about the importance of local marine conservation through exhibitions and dialogue.
Project objectives:
Inculcate knowledge and pride towards local biodiversity across the Lakshadweep Islands
Create a shared understanding and acknowledgement of the threats to island survival
Enable islanders to recognise the agency they hold in ensuring continued habitability of the archipelago by building potential pathways towards resilience to climate change threats
Activities:
Early 2019 – conducted qualitative interviews with 17 islanders, including fishermen, teachers, administration staff, and a youth club member, to assess local biodiversity knowledge, livelihood concerns, and general aspirations among different island communities.
February 2019 – interviewed 15 more fishermen and organised a meeting with Panchayat members and 30 fishermen in Bitra Island as part of an ongoing initiative to protect spawning aggregations.
January 2020 – in collaboration with the Village Dweep Panchayat and the Government Junior Basic School of Bitra Island, we screened the BBC documentary "Blue Planet". The screening was followed by a discussion on the importance of conserving unique marine life in Bitra and Lakshadweep. Over 100 islanders, including women and children, attended the event.
These activities were followed by biodiversity exhibitions across Amini, Kadmat, Bitra, Chetlat, Kiltan, Andrott, and Kalpeni islands, together attended by over 1500 islanders.
MELEM KEEZHEM
The Covid-19 pandemic and the turbulence that followed in the Lakshadweep, led us to adopt an online approach to communicate the climate change message to local communities. This took shape in the form of a graphic novel titled “Melem Keezhem”, meaning above and below, which follows two protagonists – a fisherman and a butterfly fish, as they explore aspects of the islands’ history, culture and biodiversity.
Project objectives:
Have sustained communication with communities throughout the year
Engage islanders in discussions about sensitive local topics, such as reef fishing, development, employment and tourism
Make use of online tools such as WhatsApp and social media to engage in two-way conversations
Have a repository of information about the Lakshadweep island that is aesthetically pleasing and informative
Through this project, we conceptualised and created a series of standalone comics in an easy-to-read format. Each panel, available in Malayalam and English, was circulated on a bi-weekly basis via WhatsApp, while simultaneously creating a repository of the same on Instagram. In parallel, we compiled these panels, along with snapshots of the islands’ life above and below the water, into a print edition for distribution. We also printed T-shirts and tote bags to act as supplementary mementoes to the WhatsApp campaign and printed books, and serve as publicity material.
In addition to online efforts, we made three visits to the islands through 2022 and 2023 to meet with civil society groups, community leaders, and partner organisations to explain the campaign's scope and enlist their support. We initiated distribution campaigns for booklets, T-shirts and tote bags with key stakeholders in Kavaratti, Agatti, and Kadmat Islands and are working on the distribution of our materials across the rest of the archipelago.
Currently, the WhatsApp campaign circulates 32 Melem Keezhem panels and related images to over 220 islanders in a WhatsApp group fostering a robust network of informed and engaged community members.
You can view the complete comic book here:
Melem Keezhem: Version 1 in English and Malayalam
WAYS OF LIFE DOCUMENTARY
Situated between 220 km to 440 km from mainland India, the people of Lakshadweep developed their own unique culture, traditions and way of life. But now, as access and connectivity to the mainland improve, exposing people to newer lifestyles, and climate change makes predominant livelihoods challenging, these age-old practices are fading away. In this scenario, this project aims to showcase an islander-centric narrative that sheds light on the daily routines and vital activities of native inhabitants and brings forth the richness of their way of life.
Project objectives:
Create documentaries around people’s unique occupations and livelihoods, especially those threatened by climate change
Engage in conversations about the impact and drivers of a variable climate
Document islanders’ knowledge and skills around traditional crafts and livelihoods
The videos will be shared within the Lakshadweep community, and ideally serve as catalysts for meaningful conversations about how climate change is threatening age-old livelihoods. The videos will serve as a valuable archive of knowledge, providing insights into the islanders' resilience and resourcefulness while enabling future generations to remain in touch with their roots.
Released in early 2024, the first video under this project, “Choora”, captured a day in the life of tuna fishermen in Agatti. The next anticipated video will spotlight the rapidly declining skill of coconut climbing and harvesting.
LAKSHADWEEP WEBSITE AND ARCHIVE
The Oceans and Coasts Programme has taken significant steps to establish an online presence for the Lakshadweep Islands with the acquisition of the domain name “www.thelakshadweep.com". This website will serve as a central digital hub offering a multifaceted resource base on the Lakshadweep.
Project objectives:
Document and showcase the programme’s ongoing research and conservation efforts on the islands
Serve as a comprehensive archive for a wide range of informational and artistic content on the Lakshadweep
Provide a dynamic platform for islanders to both discover and contribute valuable insights about their home
Currently, we are putting together the final aspects of the website's design and content, and we will popularise it through various social media channels and WhatsApp to ensure that it reaches and benefits a broad audience.
In the background, we are curating a treasure trove of relevant materials for upload. This encompasses a wide range of content, from photographs and videos to audio notes, drawings, poems, short stories, recipes and other items of community value. Furthermore, we are putting in place a process to identify and collaborate with content creators and contributors from the island communities to ensure an authentic and diverse representation of the Lakshadweep.
Our vision for the website is to create a comprehensive one-stop destination that not only provides up-to-date and factual information about the islands but also acts as an invaluable archive of rare and useful materials. Beyond that, it will serve as OCP's dynamic online outreach mechanism, facilitating meaningful engagement with the community and fostering a deeper understanding of the region's culture, heritage, and environmental challenges.
