‘Climate portfolio’ of Pichavaram mangrove region of Tamil Nadu coast, India: an add-on information for adaptation policy planning

Abstract

The lack of comprehensive information on the climate of the coastal region results in insufficient understanding of the impact of changing climate on the coastal ecosystems and also impedes in framing suitable climate-based adaptation strategies and policies at the regional and local level. Monitoring current climate change demands a historical perspective, as much as possible, and framing a baseline climate data is important for establishing a reference point to assess climate change. Thus, the study of past climate change relies critically on the availability of datasets that characterize the climate of the region. In this context, the objective of this article is to provide climate portfolio (collection of climate information) of Pichavaram mangrove region of Tamil Nadu coast, India, and to give an outline of its predicted impacts. Climate data of the past 60 years have been collected, and the trend analysis of major climatic variables such as temperature, rainfall, relative humidity and wind speed has been studied statistically. This research article critically appraises the available climate data, identifies general patterns of climate change in the coastal region and highlights the gaps in existing knowledge on the impact of climate change at the local level. It gives a holistic approach on understanding climate at local level and provides baseline climate information. This, in turn, is expected to shore up in framing suitable adaptation strategies and policies for the coastal region with the most valuable ecosystem such as mangroves.

Keywords::

• climate
• portfolio
• coast
• mangroves
• impacts
• adaptation
• policies

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Dr V. Selvam, Director, Coastal System Research, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Institutional Area, Taramani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India; Dr N. Jayanthi, Additional Director General of Meteorology (Retd), Government of India, Chennai and Dr S. Jayakumar, Associate Professor, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India, for their valuable guidance. The authors also place a record of sincere appreciation to Ms Divya Subash Kumar for her technical support in statistical analysis and all other colleagues at Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation Research, Anna University, Chennai, India, for their generous support.