The Terrain and the Social Structure

Nisar Kannangara, Kalaiarasi Kandhan Sagunthala | 4 June 2015 

The exposure to climate change is conceptualized upon understanding the impacts of climate change on the people situated at different geographical places as well as the related social-economic systems. The natural climatic processes of a region have been impacted by the latitude where it is situated, the differentiation in the altitude of the landforms within, and proximity to the sea, mountain and plains etc., the impact of climate change varies across the globe while some of the locations are exposed to an increase in rainfall and others face warming and frequent droughts. Likewise, the responses of the terrain to the impacts of climate change also tend to vary. The climate projections have indicated that when the global temperature reaches a tipping point it would be detrimental to the Anthropocene and the ecosystems. The local and regional variability in temperature and precipitation due to global anthropogenic changes in the natural processes of climate has a widespread impact on the people and ecosystems. This chapter explore the agency of the terrain in shaping the social structure by illustrating the cases of the three villages in Kozhikode.