Climate Resilience: Life As Told By Women

Most of us like to think of climate change as a distant possibility. An academic curiosity. But for the thousands of people living in coastal Kerala, it has already become part of their daily misery. It is in the form of tidal flooding; water inundates their houses everyday, almost for six hours daily. Houses crumble down, water from toilets contaminate drinking water, and diseases become a part of daily life. People that are able to move do so, their houses left behind like ghost towns. However, for many people this isn’t easy: they have nowhere to go, often don’t have the means to do so, and would be forced to leave their traditional land and livelihood behind.

This documentary depicts the lives of people in these affected areas, and also narrates the attempts madeby a few academicians, activists, and media professionals, to bring some change to this dire situation. This change is sought through the active involvement of Kudumbashree, members who are part of the world’s largest neighborhood group network in Kerala. They learn to document their problems through the formation of video volunteer networks, community mapping to create local maps and data, and also through community theatre to spread awareness amongst the people. As this disaster finally gets acknowledged, these women become local leaders, presenting this crisis for the world to see.