Land Use Effects on Climate Change and Role of Social Capital in The Context of Cyclone Ockhi in Kerala

Abstract

Land use changes have made Kerala State extremely vulnerable to natural calamities and shifting climatic dynamics. Landslides and floods are the State's most frequent natural disasters. An initial assessment indicates that the State's coastal regions, especially South Kerala, have seen changes in land usage, which has led to climate change and increased susceptibility to cyclones and other natural catastrophes. The coastal community's social networking with other communities is too poor, which is likely the reason they are having a difficult time recovering after storm Ockhi in 2017. As a result, post-disaster rescue and relief efforts in Thiruvananthapuram indicate that there is likely uneven social capital distribution among various demographic and spatial/regional groupings, which has a negative impact on how victim's post-disaster demands are met. Therefore, this study uses satellite imagery and maps to investigate how land use and land cover affect climate change in the Ockhi-affected areas of the Thiruvananthapuram district. Using a primary survey conducted in two villages in Kerala hit by Cyclone Ockhi, it also examines the spatial distribution of social capital and how well it works in allocating relief aid to the victims. The findings indicate a notable shift in the land cover and land use in the Thiruvananthapuram district's coastal region between 2000 and 2018. Furthermore, the inability of the government to help fishermen develop resilience demonstrates a distinct spatial distribution of social capital between coastal communities and other groups. Thus, it appears that social capital is essential throughout the natural catastrophe restoration phase.