Facing the dual threat of climate change and human disturbance, Mumbai – and the world – should listen to its fishing communities

The Koli community depend on fishing, but fish stocks off Mumbai's coast have been declining. Akella Srinivas Ramalingaswami/Shutterstock

Coastal cities and settlements are at the forefront of climate disruption. Rising sea levels, warmer seas and changes in rainfall patterns are together creating conditions that mean misery for coastal dwellers.

Disasters triggered by extreme weather often make headlines, but many problems linked to the climate are harder to see. These include the effects of warmer sea temperatures on marine ecosystems, the encroachment of seawater into once-fertile land, and coastal erosion.