Tamilnadu, situated in the south of India and boarded by Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, ranks as the 6th largest state in India, with a population of over 62 million and a population density 48% greater than the national average. According to the 2001 census 4.4% of the state’s population live in the coastal districts of Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi bordering the Gulf of Mannar, where population density is 11% less and 4.6% respectively greater than the national average.
The Gulf of Mannar region falls within the rain – shadow region of the south –west India, bordered by the large Island of Sri Lanka to the East. Most of the bio-geography of the region reflects aridity and parched land, and the largely red sandy and lateritic soils are not the most fertile soils for agriculture. The predominant plant of the area is the Palmyrah palm, which provides wood, leaves and its nectar which is tapped to make palm molasses or jaggery. Good arable land along the Gulf is sparse, and where available, is constantly under threat from saline ingress. The poor maintenance of the natural river systems of the area, the Thamirabarani and the Tharavai, a large underground fresh water aquifer extending about 35 kms on the coast, has reduced the availability of fresh water for irrigation and drinking.
Gulf of Mannar (GOM) is declared as marine biosphere reserve which has rare species. It has own different kind of fishes and its variety. It has its own indigenous species. The total area of Gulf of Mannar is 10500 sq kms spreading from Thoothukudi to Rameswaram.
Need for Intervention:
Highest drought prone area
High vulnerability context – physical, natural, social, human and finance
High infant mortality rate
Highly politically sensitive area
Education status – low literacy rate
Seasonal livelihood option
Dependency on natural resources for livelihood (Palm tapping and fishing)
No NGOs working on marine eco system and livelihoods
Target community:
Our target communities are fisher folk and palmyrah tappers. Both fishing and palmyra tapping are seasonal activities. It is vulnerable to climate change. Both the communities are exploited by money lenders and depending on outsiders for their immediate financial resources. The general awareness on education and health is very poor. The region is deprived of economic development, which is witnessed by other side of the state. The poor infrastructure, difficult train, semi-arid climate, combined with social, political and economic backwardness forced the people to migrate to other part of the state. The migration is deprived the children to access to education, safe shelter, basic health and nutrition. The women and children are worse victim of the region. The lack of alternative livelihood opportunities forced women and children for exploitation. Thus, the people in the region are one of the most exploited and neglected and vulnerable.