A REVIEW ON STUDIES PERFORMED TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES ON THE COASTAL ECOSYSTEM AT PUDUCHERRY, INDIA

Climate change is significantly disturbing all types of ecosystem and biodiversity throughout the world. The climate change impacts were felt mainly due to alterations in temperature and rainfall patterns, frequency and magnitude of the cyclones, forest fires, disease outbreaks, etc. In future, the intensity of these impacts is expected to increase largely, yet very few studies have been done in India to understand the vulnerability of ecosystems due to climate change at a regional scale. Therefore, this review aims to assess the influence of climate change on ecosystems along the coast of the Puducherry region at the Union Territory of Puducherry. This article catalogs various studies that investigate climate change impacts such as changes in the frequency and impact of cyclones, sea-level rise and extent of urbanization near the coastal regions on the coastal ecosystems. Particularly, studies pertaining to the mangroves, coastal sand dunes and turtle nesting along the coast of Puducherry were reviewed. The study reveals that the spatial extent of mangrove vegetation has declined in the last decade due to climate change and anthropogenic pressures. The nesting areas of three critically endangered marine turtle species viz., Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) and Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), were identified to be under serious threat due to tourism, fishing activity, construction, Casuarina plantations, soil erosion and sea-level rise.