Author: Aashritha Jaladi
Site Location: Kuttanad, Kerala
Institute: SMEF’s Brick School of Architecture
Advisor: Ar. Priyakta Chakravarthy
description
Circular Community Based Tourism (CBT) Model for the Kuttanad Community, Kerala
Climate change has triggered rising sea levels, threatening to submerge the lowlands of Kuttanad in Kerala, a region recently honored as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) for its unique below the sea level farming system 0.2m to 3m below the MSL. With projections indicating that Kuttanad could be fully submerged within the next decade, the Government of Kerala is relocating communities, though many residents are reluctant to leave, deeply tied to their land and livelihood. In response to this crisis, the Community Based Tourism (CBT) model emerges as a beacon of hope for a future where the Kuttanad community thrives with tourism as an alternative source of
income uplifting the community and fostering a circular and self-sufficient life.
The Kuttanad landscape is studied to propose strategies for all the Kuttanad lands, including the lowlands unfit for cultivation. In lands that lie below -2m MSL, designated as a ‘No Development Zone,’ the focus is on restoration, preserving these areas in their natural state. In lands above -2m MSL, designated as an ‘Agriculture Zone,’ the model proposes preventive measures such as floating structures to adapt to rising waters. Lands above 2m MSL, identified as a ‘Flood Resilience Zone,’ are envisioned with stilted structures. Lands above 3m MSL, deemed a ‘Development Zone,’ are seen as opportunities for revitalization, built using local materials and accentuating tourism.
Architectural templates for floating architecture, stilt-level constructions, and local vernacular techniques are envisioned not merely as structures but as symbols of resilience—floating homes in lowlands that rise with the waters, stilted platforms that stand above the tides, and buildings that echo the wisdom of generations past. The CBT circuit, with the landscape strategies, in a phased execution plan that can empower the Kuttanad community, ensuring that their heritage, their livelihoods, and their spirit continue to thrive in the face of change.
drawings
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