“Eventually It’s Going to Erode and There Won’t Be Any Land Left”: Understanding Community Perceptions of Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity to Coastal Hazards on Mahé, Seychelles

Abstract

Sea-level rise induced coastal hazards, including flooding, erosion, and saltwater intrusion, increasingly threaten coastal communities, ecosystems, infrastructure, and livelihoods, particularly in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Our study investigates how vulnerability and adaptive capacity to coastal hazards are perceived by local communities on Mahé, Seychelles. Using a qualitative research design, we conducted 19 semi-structured interviews with 21 participants across the coastal communities of Bel Ombre, Anse Royale, and Anse Boileau, analysed through inductive thematic analysis. Our findings suggest that vulnerability is perceived not solely as a consequence of environmental ex
posure, but as a dynamic outcome of economic, institutional, social, and environmental processes interacting across multiple scales. Despite geographical differences in exposure, vulnerability perceptions were remarkably similar, reflecting strong island-wide social connectivity, mobility, and shared economic dependencies. Adaptive capacity was perceived as constrained by structural factors, including high living costs, unequal and limited access to financial resources, as well as governance dynamics, including weak regulatory enforcement, limited public participation, and perceived power imbalances in environmental governance. Adaptation responses were predominantly described as reactive, relying on hard infrastructure, particularly seawalls and rock-armouring, which were perceived to provide short-term protection while simultaneously constraining pathways to sustainable, long-term adaptation. Overall, our study highlights how vulnerability and adaptive capacity on Mahé are deeply embedded within socio-economic structures, governance processes, and power relations. By foregrounding local perceptions and lived experiences, our study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of coastal vulnerability in SIDS, emphasising the importance of inclusive, context-specific, and long-term adaptation strategies for coastal communities.

Popular Abstract

What happens when the sea slowly reaches your doorstep?

Introduction:
In Seychelles, climate change has become part of everyday life: roads flood during high tides,beaches become smaller, drinking water runs short, and seasons no longer feel predictable. Our thesis explored how people living along the coast experience these changes and what this means for their future.

Main text:
Imagine living on a small tropical island where the beach in front of your house slowly disappears year after year. Where roads sometimes turn into “rivers of seawater” during high
tide. Where farmers no longer know when the rain will come – or if it will at all. This is the reality many people described to us during our research on Mahé, the main island of Sey
chelles. Seychelles are often presented as a paradise: turquoise water, white beaches, palm
trees, and luxury hotels. Yet behind this picture-postcard, many people are already feeling
the effects of climate change in their daily lives. We wanted to understand how local com
munities experience these changes themselves and asked them about their own stories and
observations. To this end, we spoke with people from three coastal communities around
Mahé. We interviewed farmers, retirees, conservation experts, and other residents about
how their environment has changed, what worries them most, and how they try to adapt.

Many participants described that the weather no longer behaves the way it used to. Rainy
and dry seasons have become unpredictable. One farmer told us that he can plant crops on a
sunny day, only to lose everything in heavy rainfall the next morning. Others spoke about rising sea levels and stronger coastal erosion. Some explained that the sea now reaches places that used to stay dry, even during low tide, or remembered beaches where they played as children that have now almost disappeared.

But one of the most interesting things we found was that people rarely spoke about the im
pacts of climate change as only an environmental problem. Instead, environmental changes
were deeply connected to everyday struggles such as rising living costs, expensive housing,
dependence on imported food, feeling ignored in political decision-making, or worries about
jobs and the future of younger generations. In this sense, climate change acts like a magnifying glass: it makes existing social and economic problems more visible and more difficult.

Many participants also questioned how the island is currently protecting itself. Large sea
walls and rock barriers can now be found along many parts of the coast. Yet, most people we
spoke to believe that nature itself often offers better long-term protection. Participants
mentioned mangroves, wetlands, trees, and coastal vegetation, and explained that roots can
stabilise the shoreline and reduce erosion more naturally than concrete structures. How
ever, many felt that these solutions receive less attention than concrete structures.
Our study shows that adapting to climate change is not only about building walls against the
sea. It is also about trust, fairness, and whether people feel heard when decisions about
their future are made. The people we spoke to did not just want protection from flooding;
they wanted a voice in shaping what their island will look like in the future.

• author: Zöllner, Vivien Elisabeth and Bösert, Luca Emilie
• supervisor: Sara Bondesson
• organization: Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety
• course: VBRM15 20261
• year: 2026
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Social Sciences
• keywords: vulnerability, SIDS, coastal hazards, sea-level rise, adaptive capacity, climate change, Seychelles, community perception, climate change adaptation, disaster risk
• language: English
• id: 9242157
• date added to LUP: 2026-06-29 13:42:38
• date last changed: 2026-06-29 13:42:38