Disrupted Sand Flows, Artisanal Fishers, and the Making of Coastal Protection in Southern India
Flowing parallel to the sea, sand is subject to erosive, accretive, and extractive processes and is intertwined with the socio-ecological dynamics at the land–sea interface. Human interventions, climate change, and societal responses to it are constantly reshaping the morphology of coastal areas and...
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| Language: | English |
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Cogitatio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Ocean and Society |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/oceanandsociety/article/view/8933 |
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| author | Dennis Schüpf Lisa E. F. Schipper Nithya Kuppusami |
| author_facet | Dennis Schüpf Lisa E. F. Schipper Nithya Kuppusami |
| author_sort | Dennis Schüpf |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Flowing parallel to the sea, sand is subject to erosive, accretive, and extractive processes and is intertwined with the socio-ecological dynamics at the land–sea interface. Human interventions, climate change, and societal responses to it are constantly reshaping the morphology of coastal areas and thus disrupting sand flows, for example, through the construction of harbours or groins to prevent erosion. In this article, we ask how disrupted sand flows shape the interaction and social dynamics between different coastal actors in the making of coastal protection. Empirically, we ground our research in the Pondicherry region of southern India, characterised by a sandy morphology and numerous fishing communities. Building on the literature on “geosocialities,” we argue that engaging with the materialities of ocean sand and the social implications of sediment loss for artisanal fishers is crucial to reducing maladaptation. Following sand as a non-human actor unravels the social entanglements with ocean sand that underpin the implementation of protective measures and that shape access to sandy beaches for artisanal fishers. By exploring these contestations, we show how the reclamation of sand through groins is embedded in unequal power relations over shrinking beaches. While migration to other sandy beaches becomes a necessary means of adaptation, this leads to local conflicts over coastal space. We conclude by highlighting the need to understand coastal adaptation as a geophysical and socially intertwined process, in which ocean sand must be critically considered for future adaptation strategies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d4acce037cb94d47966e2e7a31bbc671 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2976-0925 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cogitatio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ocean and Society |
| spelling | doaj-art-d4acce037cb94d47966e2e7a31bbc6712025-08-20T03:24:53ZengCogitatioOcean and Society2976-09252025-01-012010.17645/oas.89333887Disrupted Sand Flows, Artisanal Fishers, and the Making of Coastal Protection in Southern IndiaDennis Schüpf0Lisa E. F. Schipper1Nithya Kuppusami2Environmental Governance, German Institute of Development & Sustainability (IDOS), Germany / Department of Geography, University of Bonn, GermanyDepartment of Geography, University of Bonn, GermanySocial Science, French Institute of Pondicherry (IFP), IndiaFlowing parallel to the sea, sand is subject to erosive, accretive, and extractive processes and is intertwined with the socio-ecological dynamics at the land–sea interface. Human interventions, climate change, and societal responses to it are constantly reshaping the morphology of coastal areas and thus disrupting sand flows, for example, through the construction of harbours or groins to prevent erosion. In this article, we ask how disrupted sand flows shape the interaction and social dynamics between different coastal actors in the making of coastal protection. Empirically, we ground our research in the Pondicherry region of southern India, characterised by a sandy morphology and numerous fishing communities. Building on the literature on “geosocialities,” we argue that engaging with the materialities of ocean sand and the social implications of sediment loss for artisanal fishers is crucial to reducing maladaptation. Following sand as a non-human actor unravels the social entanglements with ocean sand that underpin the implementation of protective measures and that shape access to sandy beaches for artisanal fishers. By exploring these contestations, we show how the reclamation of sand through groins is embedded in unequal power relations over shrinking beaches. While migration to other sandy beaches becomes a necessary means of adaptation, this leads to local conflicts over coastal space. We conclude by highlighting the need to understand coastal adaptation as a geophysical and socially intertwined process, in which ocean sand must be critically considered for future adaptation strategies.https://www.cogitatiopress.com/oceanandsociety/article/view/8933artisanal fishersclimate change adaptationcoastal protectionfishing communitiesgeosocialitiesindiamaladaptationsand resources |
| spellingShingle | Dennis Schüpf Lisa E. F. Schipper Nithya Kuppusami Disrupted Sand Flows, Artisanal Fishers, and the Making of Coastal Protection in Southern India Ocean and Society artisanal fishers climate change adaptation coastal protection fishing communities geosocialities india maladaptation sand resources |
| title | Disrupted Sand Flows, Artisanal Fishers, and the Making of Coastal Protection in Southern India |
| title_full | Disrupted Sand Flows, Artisanal Fishers, and the Making of Coastal Protection in Southern India |
| title_fullStr | Disrupted Sand Flows, Artisanal Fishers, and the Making of Coastal Protection in Southern India |
| title_full_unstemmed | Disrupted Sand Flows, Artisanal Fishers, and the Making of Coastal Protection in Southern India |
| title_short | Disrupted Sand Flows, Artisanal Fishers, and the Making of Coastal Protection in Southern India |
| title_sort | disrupted sand flows artisanal fishers and the making of coastal protection in southern india |
| topic | artisanal fishers climate change adaptation coastal protection fishing communities geosocialities india maladaptation sand resources |
| url | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/oceanandsociety/article/view/8933 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dennisschupf disruptedsandflowsartisanalfishersandthemakingofcoastalprotectioninsouthernindia AT lisaefschipper disruptedsandflowsartisanalfishersandthemakingofcoastalprotectioninsouthernindia AT nithyakuppusami disruptedsandflowsartisanalfishersandthemakingofcoastalprotectioninsouthernindia |