From climate to conflict: unravelling multidimensional vulnerabilities of small-scale fisheries in the Jaffna Peninsula of Sri Lanka

Gunaratne, M. S.; Firdaus, R. B. R.; Sihivaitthasan, A. S.; Sarjiyanto, S.; Jaafar, M. H. 2024. From climate to conflict: unravelling multidimensional vulnerabilities of small-scale fisheries in the Jaffna Peninsula of Sri Lanka. The Qualitative Report, 29(11):2893-2935. [doi:https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2024.7041]

Vulnerability studies have often centered on climate change and catastrophic climatic events. Contrary to this trend, this study explores the multidimensional vulnerabilities faced by small-scale fisheries (SSFs) in the Jaffna peninsula of Sri Lanka. We employed the Integrated Vulnerability Analysis for Sustainability (IVAS) Framework for this analysis. Data was collected through focus group discussions and key informant interviews using semi-structured questionnaires. We analyzed our data following Reflexive Thematic Analysis using ATLAS.ti software and identified 15 vulnerability drivers across five domains specific to the local context, revealing that SSFs in the Jaffna peninsula are highly susceptible to multiple vulnerabilities. Notably, the analysis brought to light a previously uncharted domain of vulnerability stemming from the residual effects of civil war and the lingering root causes of ethnic conflict. However, the interplay between multiple drivers of vulnerabilities, spanning from societal to environmental factors, underscores the importance of adopting multidimensional approaches in vulnerability analysis and policy formulation. This study may be a pioneer of its kind, as the findings provide new insights into multidimensional vulnerability analysis while providing a comprehensive and holistic approach for future studies.