Living with the Sea: Kannamali’s Frontline of Climate Change
Jamma Joe has lived in Chellanam, Kerala for 31 years — 25 of them marked by repeated sea flooding that has cost her family their home, belongings, and sense of safety.
Living with the Sea: Kannamali’s Frontline of Climate Change
Jamma Joe has lived in Chellanam for 31 years, 25 of which have been marked by repeated sea incursion. Flooding four years ago swept away her family’s belongings and left their home uninhabitable; she still lives on the support of others rather than in her own house. A newly repainted home has already been stripped by the sea again, and she describes leaving in fear each time the wind rises, uncertain whether the walls will hold.
Once known for its calm backwaters and fishing life, Chellanam now stands on the frontline of climate change — where rising water does not only flood homes, but erodes the everyday sense of safety and belonging that ties people to place.