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Shocks and coping strategies of coastal communities in war–conflict-affected areas of the north and east of Sri Lanka

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Abstract

A quantitative survey of 1,377 households in three war-affected coastal districts of Jaffna, Mannar and Trincomalee in the north and east of Sri Lanka shows that inflation or price hikes, specially fuel, and natural disasters such as floods and droughts are highlighted as the shocks with the biggest impacts on fisher and non-fisher households. We hypothesise that the pattern/severity of households’ coping strategies to face these shocks depends on a set of household characteristics: livelihood diversity, asset ownership, level of education and the ability to borrow. Livelihood diversity, asset ownership and borrowings correlate significantly with the severity of coping strategies adopted by households for both fisher and non-fisher households. Education and livelihood diversification does not show a significant correlation for fisher households although it significantly affects livelihood diversification of both types of households.

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Acknowledgments

This paper is based on data collected for a panel survey conducted as part of the research portfolio of the Sustainable Livelihoods Research Consortium, a six year DFID funded programme, led by the Overseas Development Institute in London, working with organisations in seven conflict affected countries in Asia and Africa. We gratefully acknowledge the editing and reviewing support provided by Priyanthi Fernando, Roshni Alles and K Romeshun, the analysis support provided by Pulasthi Amerasekera and Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium for providing us with the data set to base this paper on.

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  1. Centre for Poverty Analysis, Colombo, Sri Lanka

    Mohamed Munas & Gayathri Lokuge

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  1. Mohamed Munas
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  2. Gayathri Lokuge
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Correspondence to Mohamed Munas.

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Munas, M., Lokuge, G. Shocks and coping strategies of coastal communities in war–conflict-affected areas of the north and east of Sri Lanka. Reg Environ Change 16, 289–299 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-014-0632-x

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