Abstract

The climate paradox is evident in the huge amount of inaction or disagreement to change despite an increasing awareness of climate change and the setting of ambitious collective action goals. This study examines the unique perceptions of the communities of the relatively underexplored coastal Maharashtra state of India. Cognitive, sociocultural, and affective factors leading to the climate risk perception were analyzed, and potential adaptation strategies in the local capacity of the communities were also identified. Region-specific psychological and structural barriers to adaptive efforts of the communities were identified, and their relations were thoroughly studied. Focused group discussions were conducted to explore the issues, and thematic content analysis was used to analyze the dominant themes and patterns from the discourse. Data is analyzed using a unique blend of critical sociopsychological, structural, and politico-ecological perspectives. Uncertainty, lack of knowledge, implicatory denial, and perceived inequity were identified as the psychological impediments arising from the structural inequalities faced. Removal of these barriers requires increased adaptive capacity, which can be achieved through the development and linking of local knowledge-based systems to global objectives, network building, and socio-behavioral interventions. Every theme studied is articulated in a region-specific sociocultural context and supported with relevant literature. The results of the study point toward the bottom-up approach to adaptation strategies, suggesting the consideration of the perspectives of the most vulnerable communities involved—insights into the power structures in ascertaining the adaptation strategies and ethical dimensions of the same further exploration.