PERCEIVED COASTAL DISTRESS IN TSUNAMI AFFECTED ANDAMAN ISLANDS’ POPULATION OF INDIA AND PSYCHOLOGICAL/BEHAVIOURAL RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

Islands are examined due to their increased vulnerability to climate change related hazards like flooding, sea-level rise, storms, cyclones etc. Out of the several projected impacts of climate change in India, coastal zones are apprehended to suffer most devastating effects. India has been identified as one amongst 27 countries which are most vulnerable to the impacts of global warming related accelerated sea level rise (UNEP, 1989). Under article 6 of New Delhi Work Programme (2007), a special effort to foster psychological/behavioral change has been stressed through public awareness. In view of this, a psychological assessment of Indian islanders’ perceptions, stressors and resilience to climate change was conducted in Tsunami affected Andaman islands of India (N=100 adult respondents) using Islanders’ Perception to Climate Change Inventory (IPCCI) classified into subsections like Climate Change Perceptions, Islanders’ Distress, Coping/Adaptation and Psychological Resilience. Results were discussed in line with human-climate interface/ psychological variables in order to suggest the tradeoffs between individual, community and institutional responses to natural disasters so that resilience and subjective well being can be further promoted in islanders to overcome the anticipated distress from Tsunami like environmental events.