Kovalam’s WaterGendered Impact of Rapid Urbanizat ion and Tour ism on Water Resource Degradat ion in the Face of C l imate Change

1

Contents

Introduction

2

MethodsFindings and Conclusion

• Transect Walk

• Resource Mapping

• HH Questionnaire

• In-depth Interviews and KPIs

3 3

1

KOVALAM

Location

4

Figure: Map of Kovalam, Tamil NaduSource: Google Maps, 2019

KOVALAMHighlights

5

1740s

Formation of

Kovalam by Nawab

of Carnatic, Saadat

Ali

1974

• Sea level rise

observed by many

• Taj Hotel in Chennai

2004

Tsunami in the

Coasts- many

migrated to

Kovalam

2006

Completion of

development of

settlements for tsunami

effected people

2016

Vardha Cyclone

hit the coasts,

including

Kovalam

2018

Cyclone Gaja hit the

coasts of Chennai,

Kovalam was affected

2019

Drought affected

the entire Chennai,

including Kovalam

KOVALAM

Issues

6A fisherman taking out fishA fisherwoman cutting fish

Livelihood….

Image Source: Authors

Cesar et. al., 2003

Garcia and Servera, 2004

Brown et. al., 2002

Literature

7

Salvo and Giulia, 2003

May et. al., 2006

• Higher frequency of 2 year storm base-flow discharge ration with increase percentage of watershed urbanization.

Literature

8

Cesar et. al., 2003

Literature

9

Research Question

How urbanization and tourism has gendered impacts as water resources deplete in the face of climate change?

10

Degradation of

Water

Resources

Tourism Urbaniza

tion

Communi

ty

Gender

Religion

Age Occupation

Climate ChangeConceptualFramework

11

Objectives

1

12

2

13 13

2

Framework

Reconnaissance Data Collection Interpretation

14

Reconnaissance

Figure: A fish selling lady sharing her thoughtsSource: Authors, 2019

Transect Walk Interviews

Figure: Transect Walk inside Kovalam VillageSource: Authors, 2019

15

Resource Maps

Men Focused more on roads and structures, while women focused on water resourcesSource: Authors, 2019

16

Local people making resource mapsSource: Authors, 2019

KPIs and SSIs

KPI with a hindu women, involved in dealing water privatelySource: Authors, 2019

17

18 18

3

Public tap30%

bore well40%

Open well30%

Sources of Water for Other Domestic Use

WR & Use:Impact

19

can water56%Public tap

19%

borewell19%

RO6%

Source of Drinking water

Public tap47%

bore well47%

Open well6%

Sources of cooking water

Before:

Now:

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Natural disaster(Tsunami,cyclone) Sea level rise Drought Ground water depletion

Water related Crisis

location Kanniamman kovil street location Anzari nagar location Tharga street

WR & Use:Impact

20

Water Crisis : How it is seen in different locations of Kovalam villageSource: Authors, 2019

Effect of Urbanization

Figure: Urbanization trend in Kovalam village from 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2016 and 2019

Source: Authors, 201921

The population of Kovalam had goveover a double within just ten years: 793 households in 2001 to 1974 households in 2011 (

Figure: Change in Dargah Kulam and surrounding area from 2002 to nowSource: Authors, 2019

22

Effect of Urbanization

Left: Blocked access to the ocean, Right: Common resources property - no ones responsibility

Source: Authors, 201923

Effect of Tourism

Water and Gender

Figure: Men busy with their nets while women cut and sell fishesSource: Authors, 2019

24

Water and Gender

Varied perception of men and women regarding cause of degradation of water resourcesSource: Authors, 2019

25

Descri

ption

Urbanis

ation

Tou

rism

Waste

managemen

t

issue

s

Ocean 7.14

50.

00 42.86

Tidal

pool 0.00

50.

00 50.00

Pond 16.67

0.0

0 83.33

Public

well 28.57

28.5

7 42.86

Descri

ption

Urbanis

ation

Tou

rism

Waste

managemen

t

issue

s

Ocean 15.38

23.0

8 61.54

Tidal

pool 33.33 11.11 55.56

Pond 40.00

20.

00 40.00

Public

well 0.00

87.5

0 12.50

Men Women

Water and Gender

Varied perception of hindu and muslim people regarding cause of degradation of water resourcesSource: Authors, 2019

26

Descri

ption

Urbanis

ation

Tou

rism

Waste

managemen

t

issue

s

Ocean 14.29 35.71 50.00

Tidal

pool

20.0

0

40.

00 40.00

Pond 33.33

0.0

0 66.67

Public

well 25.00

25.

00 50.00

Descri

ption

Urbanis

ation

Tou

rism

Waste

managemen

t

issue

s

Ocean 8.33 33.33 58.33

Tidal

pool 0.00

75.0

0 25.00

Pond 11.11

0.0

0 88.89

Public

well 0.00

50.

00 50.00

Hindu Muslim

Water and Gender

Availability of water – difference in hindu and muslim community in same time, just 10 ft away!Source: Authors, 2019

27

Hindu Muslim

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%

No Yes

Gender responses about degradation of ocean due to Tourism

Male

Female

Water and Gender

Varied perception of men and women regarding cause of degradation of water resources: OceanSource: Authors, 2019

28

“Yes” “No”

Water and Gender

Probable Future Scenario: Male VS Female perspectivesSource: Authors, 2019

29

More focus on drought and overall scarcity of water in future

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Drinking watre crisis Water scarcity Don't think

Female

Male Either couldn’t think of crisis, or focused on drinking water

30

Water and Gender

31

Coping is more about protecting fishes and pollution control due to degradation of ocean and ponds

Coping was more about domestic water use due to degradation of wells, hand pumps and ponds

32 32

4

Findings from KPIs

33

“We build so much concrete roads and buildings, collecting ground water and lose all the rainwater, nothing gets in the ground. Then how will we get ground water?”

-Key informant interviews-

Degradation of

Water

Resources

Tourism Urbaniza

tion

Communi

ty

Gender

Religion

Age Occupation

Climate ChangeConceptualFramework

34

Unpredictable rainfall

Frequent disaster events

Saltwater intrusion

Sea level rise

New livelihoodsTension between natives and aliens

New resorts, infrastructure, buildings

Restricted access to resourcesGroundwater depletionWaste management issues

More people moving in

Water dudgery

“

35

—Jayagandhi, Dealer of private water can in Kovalam

“Thaaya pazhithalumthanneera pazhikka koodathu”

Even if I could ever scorn my mother, I could never scorn water

“

Thank You!

36

References

37

• Brown, K., Turner, R.K, Hameed, H., and Bateman, I. 2002. Environmental carrying capacity and tourism development in the Maldives and Nepal. Cambridge University Press. Available [Online] on https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/environmental-conservation/article/environmental-carrying-capacity-and-tourism-development-in-the-maldives-and-nepal/DC50C550C6E6403C034B77F3292FAB9F assessed on 6 September 2019.

• Cesar, H., Burke, L and Pet-Soede, L. 2003. the Economics of worldwide coral reef degradation. Technical Report. Available [Online] on http://eprints.uberibz.org/id/eprint/48 assessed on 6 September, 2019.

• Garcia, C and Servera, J. 2004. Impacts of tourism development on water demand and beach degradation on the island of Mallorca (Spain).

• May, C.W., Horner, R.R., Karr, J. R., Mar, B.W. an Welch, E. B. 2006. the cumulative ieffects of urbanization on small streams in the Puget sound lowland ecoregion. [Online] Available [Online] https://www.researchgate.net/profile/James_Karr/publication/240437080_Effects_of_Urbanization_on_Small_Streams_in_the_Puget_Sound_Lowland_Ecoregion/links/549596080cf2ec13375b2a2f.pdfassessed on 6 September 2019.

• Salvo, C. and Giulio, Q. 2003. The role of tourism in sustainable economic development. 43rd Congress of the European Regional Science Association: “Peripheries, centers and spatial development in the New Europe”, 27 – 30 August 2003, Jyvaskyla, Finland.