OceanNet Blockchain A Blockchain based Platform for Livelihood Resilience and Sustainability in a Small scale Fishing Community in India

Abstract

The constant pursuit of economic growth has frequently neglected development s ecological and socio-economic costs, particularly for rural villages dependent on natural resources such newlineas fisheries. During the 21st century, sustainability and resilience have become pressing issues,for which the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals established a roadmap for integrating human needs with care for the environment. The research embodied in this thesis pursued the same philosophy to address the socio-economic challenges faced by a rural fishing community. It focused on the Alappad fishing village in Southern India, where chronically low incomes, facilitated by climate change and exploitative market relationships, undermined sustainable livelihoods. It investigated how technology interventions complemented with participatory approaches could support livelihood resilience and sustainability. The Alappad community has historically relied on fishing as its main source of livelihood. However, the supply chain has been stagnant, with fishermen traditionally selling their catch to powerful intermediaries due to poor bargaining power. With fishing being a seasonal vocation, the situation caused cascading socio-economic challenges, leaving the fishermen reliant on the government welfare schemes and subsidies. The status quo thus calls for a multipronged approach that delivers innovative strategies to uplift the Alappad fishing community with the ultimate goals of improving the quality of life, women s empowerment, and improving their income through skill development. The research pinpointed the deep-seated reasons behind low income and fragility in Alappad, representing coastal rural communities that are reliant on fishing as their livelihoods, and crafted a technological intervention to link fishermen directly to buyers, cutting reliance on middlemen to lift their earnings. It also developed a strategy to empower women of the study community through active roles in the fishery value chain and assessed its potential..