Keywords
Abstract
Coastal erosion poses a significant threat to vulnerable communities worldwide, exacerbated by anthropogenic activities and climate change. Despite global recognition, coastal management strategies in developing nations like India often overlook the socio-economic vulnerabilities of coastal communities. This research focuses on Marakkanam, Tamil Nadu, investigating the dynamics of coastal erosion over three decades. Through remote sensing and GIS analysis, coupled with field visits, the study unveils the intricate interplay between natural and human-induced factors shaping coastal landscapes. Landuse Landcover analysis reveals a shift towards agricultural, salt pan, and aquaculture activities, providing insights into potential links with coastal erosion. Shoreline analysis using DSAS software identifies erosion and accretion patterns, highlighting areas prone to extreme changes. Hotspot analysis further refines these findings, pinpointing erosion and accretion hotspots. Contrary to expectations, the study finds no substantial influence of socio-economic activities on coastal erosion in Marakkanam, attributing primary causative factors to geological characteristics. In response, practical recommendations are proposed, including strategic placement of boulders and rocks and casuarina plantation, aimed at guiding sustainable coastal management strategies that balance environmental preservation and socio-economic well-being.
References
1. Arun Kumar, A., & Kunte, P. D. (2012). Coastal vulnerability assessment for Chennai, east coast of India using geospatial techniques. Natural Hazards, 64, 853–872. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-012-0266-9
2. Camfield, F. E., & Morang, A. (1996). Defining and interpreting shoreline change. Ocean & Coastal Management, 32(3), 129–151.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0964-5691(96)00049-2
3. Cutter, S. L., & Emrich, C. T. (2006). Moral hazard, social catastrophe: The changing face of vulnerability along the hurricane coasts. Global Environmental Change, 16(3), 271–282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2006.03.006
4. Dwarakish, G. S., Vinay, S. A., Natesan, U., Asano, T., Kakinuma, T., & Venkataramana, K. (2009). Coastal vulnerability assessment of the future sea level rise in Udupi coastal zone of Karnataka state, India. Ocean & Coastal Management, 52(9), 467–478.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2009.07.007
5. El-Mahdy, M. E. S., Saber, A., Moursy, F. E., Sharaky, A., & Saleh, N. (2022). Coastal erosion risk assessment and mitigation measures. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 13(3), 101621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2021.101621
6. Gomez, M. L. A., Adelegan, O. J., Ntajal, J., & Trawally, D. (2020). Vulnerability to coastal erosion in The Gambia. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 45, 101439.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2019.101439
7. Kumaravel, S., Ramkumar, T., Gurunanam, B., Suresh, M., & Dharanirajan, K. (2013). Remote sensing and GIS-based shoreline change studies. International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering, 2(4), 211–215.
8. Misra, A., & Balaji, R. (2015). Decadal changes in land use/land cover and shoreline. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 187, 1–13.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4600-9
9. Mishra, M., Kar, D., Santos, C. A. G., da Silva, R. M., & Das, P. P. (2022). Cyclone impacts on shoreline changes. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 174, 113262.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113262
10. Mishra, M., Chand, P., Beja, S. K., Santos, C. A. G., da Silva, R. M., Ahmed, I., & Kamal, A. H. M. (2023). Quantitative assessment of coastal erosion using geospatial tools. Science of the Total Environment, 875, 162488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162488
11. Mutaqin, B. W. (2017). Shoreline change analysis using DSAS. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 12(7), 1203–1214. https://doi.org/10.2495/SDP-V12-N7-1203-1214
12. Natesan, U., Parthasarathy, A., Vishnunath, R., Kumar, G. E. J., & Ferrer, V. A. (2015). Monitoring shoreline changes along Tamil Nadu coast. Aquatic Procedia, 4, 325–332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aqpro.2015.02.044
13. Pandian, P. K., et al. (2004). Coastal erosion processes along Tamil Nadu coast.
14. Pereira, G. F., Gurugnanam, B., Goswami, S., & Choudhury, S. (2022). Coastal erosion analysis using geospatial techniques. Journal of the Geological Society of India, 98(9), 1261–1270.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-022-2172-5
15. Rajan, S., Nellayaputhenpeedika, M., Tiwari, S., & Vengadasalam, R.(2020). Mapping coastal vulnerability in Tamil Nadu. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, 26(7), 1879–1895.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2019.1700235
16. Rajesh, J., Lakshumanan, C., Karthick, P., & Govindaraj, V. (2016). Coastal vulnerability and shoreline changes. Journal of Global Resources, 1, 81–88.
17. Sheik, M. (2011). Shoreline change analysis using DSAS. Geo-spatial Information Science, 14(4), 282–293.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11806-011-0480-9
18. Sheik Mujabar, P., & Chandrasekar, N. (2013). Coastal erosion hazard assessment. Natural Hazards, 69, 1295–1314. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-013-0752-1
19. Tian, H., Xu, K., Goes, J. I., Liu, Q., Gomes, H. D. R., & Yang, M. (2020). Shoreline changes along China coast. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 9(10), 572. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9100572
20. Velsamy, S., Balasubramaniyan, G., Swaminathan, B., & Kesavan, D. (2020). Multidecadal shoreline change analysis. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 13, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-06087-2
21. Wang, X., Zhang, W., Yin, J., Wang, J., Ge, J., Wu, J., & Lam, N. S.(2021). Assessment of coastal erosion vulnerability and socio-economic impact. Ocean & Coastal Management, 215, 105953. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.105953
22. Zhang, K., Douglas, B. C., & Leatherman, S. P. (2004). Global warming and coastal erosion. Journal of Coastal Research, 20(2), 399–413. https://doi.org/10.2112/1551-5036(2004)020
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Sinciya B, Dr. P. Shanmugapriya, Dr. Shaik Mahamad (Author)