Empowering Coastal Communities in Southern India

>> Visit our interactive map of the project area to real examples of the issues we fight in Southern India

>> Follow our 2012 dispatches from south india blog

>> Destination Tsunami slideshow

The issue

Aggressive tourism development along the coast of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in India continues to exploit vulnerable communities, creating a range of human rights issues, from displacement and loss of livelihood, to social and environmental issues. This undermines traditional lifestyles.

Tourism Concern's solutions

Our Tsunami of Tourism campaign (2007-09) raised awareness of many of these issues, and in January 2010 we began a three year DFID-funded project which aims to empower civil society organisations (CSOs) in these communities to participate in tourism decision-making processes, so that their rights and access to resources are upheld and encroachment of their land is prevented.

Tourism Concern is undertaking this project in partnership with Indian NGO Kabani – The Other Direction. The project is enabling Kabani to link a wide range of local civil society organisations – including women’s groups, community organisations, and fishing co-operatives – in order to campaign in a more co-ordinated and hence effective way.
 
Project components include:

• Strengthening networks, identifying common concerns and interest groups, and raising awareness of tourism issues and campaigns. This includes the production of a film highlighting human rights and tourism issues on India’s southern coast.
• Advocacy training and capacity-building, including the production of six advocacy toolkits and skills workshops.
• Helping CSOs use the skills developed to advocate for more sustainable policies along the coast

Kabani aims to work with over 100 local organisations over the project lifespan. By the end of the three years, it is hoped that current tourism policies and practice in the private and public sector will have been challenged and altered, with due protection afforded to the human rights of coastal communities.

Tourism Concern supports these efforts through advocacy work with the UK tourism industry and sensitisation of UK holidaymakers. A member of Tourism Concern has travelled the project area in 2012 to document the issues and uncover some concrete actions hoildaymakers can take.

>> Follow our dispatches from south india blog here

What you can do

There are some simple steps to take to show your concern for communities in Southern India.

You can directly support this campaign by becoming a member or signing up to our campaigns-e-news for the latest updates and campaign actions.

Destination Tsunami online exhidition

Our exhibition, Destination Tsunami: Stories and struggles from India’s southern coast, has toured the UK for two years. It uses striking images by Indian photographer Sohrab Hura to record the impact of tourism on tsunami-affected communities, and tells the personal stories of some of those affected. The photographs are still available if your university or organization would like to host the exhibition, or would like a talk about the complex issues raised by this project. Please contact Peter Bishop at peter@tourismconcern.org.uk with your request.