World Tsunami Day: How Indian women are rebuilding coastal economies

[...]

The story of rebuilding after tsunamis in India is not only one of infrastructure. It's also about women stepping into leadership roles to redesign how the coast sustains itself.

[...]

Nature-based solutions are front and centre in coastal resilience strategies, with women as their custodians. Across Odisha, the Sundarbans in West Bengal, and pockets along India's west coast, women's self-help groups run mangrove nurseries and planting drives that protect shorelines from storm surge and create paid work.

[...]

After the 2004 tsunami, fisherwomen's groups in southern Kerala launched micro-enterprises processing fish, coir and spices. One cooperative turned a roadside stall into a registered business selling smoked fish and ready-to-cook mixes. The profits funded school fees and cyclone-proof storage boxes.

[...]

Community-based ecotourism has become a career pathway for women. Kerala's gender-inclusive tourism push, documents thousands of women joining as homestay hosts, guides and service providers.

[...]

Recovery from tsunamis is not only rebuilding brick and mortar but rebuilding knowledge. Women are central in passing on early-warning signals, running school programs for preparedness and translating alerts into household action plans.

[...]