Risk communication and capacity-building: A case study on framing CBA strategies of artisanal fishing communities to sea-level rise using BASIEC

Abstract

Accelerated rise in sea levels due to changing climate threatens the communities located in the low-lying coastal regions. Small-scale fishing communities such as artisanal fishing communities are vulnerable to the risk of sea-level rise. Climate services are considered to be effective instruments to communicate such risks and enhance the capacity of local communities. However, the application of climate services to build capacities of artisanal fishing communities remains sparse. In this context, this study attempted to address the risk of rising sea levels and building capacity of artisanal fishing communities of Ennore region in Chennai situated on the east coast of India, as a case study. The study has addressed the following research questions: What sea-level rise risk information is required? How should it be communicated effectively? and how efficiently climate services can be utilized to enhance the capacities of communities to rising sea levels? BASIEC coastal climate service framework methodology has been adopted. Sea-level rise risk campaign and adaptation workshops were served as climate service platforms to create awareness through narratives and visualization techniques as risk information, communication and education strategies. By adopting participatory techniques such as citizen science and pair-wise ranking methods, the study has identified and prioritized community-based adaptation strategies to sea-level rise. As a climate service, this case study provides a model to communicate the sea-level rise risk and build capacities of artisanal fishing communities in adaptation decision-making. The approach and methodology of this study are valuable for facilitating climate services to empower coastal communities.