Exploring climate change trends in major river basins and its impact on the riverine ecology, fish catch and fisheries of the Peninsular region of India: Issues and a brief overview

Riverine fisheries will have a knock-on effect due to the changes in water flow and increased irrigation in the agriculture sector to cope with the climate change impact. The present study showed a very high perception existing in the fishing community about climate change observed in the last 10 years. About 95% of fishermen understand temperature and sea levels are changing, whereas 91% responded that rainfall is changing and salinity also is increasing and 86% think extreme rainfall is affecting productivity. Moreover, though the monsoon period is shorter than the non-monsoon period, about 62.3% of the total fish catch in River Cauvery takes place during the monsoon. The variations in climate can enormously impact the inland fisheries, especially the riverine resources, their productivity and sustainability. With this view, it was attempted to: (i) investigate the changing climate trends in the major river basins of the Peninsular region of India over the decades, (ii) key drivers and its implication on the fish catch, biodiversity, inland fisheries, (iii) analyse the perception of the fishermen and (iv) suggest appropriate strategies like the development of climate-smart villages and waterbodies for livelihood and sustainable utilization of the invaluable biological resources. HIGHLIGHTS The effects of climate change on inland fisheries are given the utmost importance in current times due to its sudden and long-term impact on fisheries resources and the aquatic environment.; Ecosystem-based fisheries management approach towards the riverine fisheries resource management and capacity building among stakeholders and fisher community are essential mitigation strategies for sustainable sectorial development.;