Tamil Nadu’s Killai village has become the state’s first Climate-Resilient Village, showcasing a community-driven model of climate adaptation through ecosystem conservation, disaster preparedness, sustainable livelihoods, and climate-resilient infrastructure for vulnerable coastal regions.

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• Killai village in Cuddalore district, located near the ecologically significant Pichavaram Mangrove Forest, has been recognised as Tamil Nadu’s first Climate-Resilient Village, marking a major milestone in climate adaptation and sustainable coastal development.
• The initiative adopts a community-led climate resilience model that prepares residents to tackle climate-related challenges such as cyclones, coastal erosion, floods, sea-level rise, saltwater intrusion, and extreme weather events.
• A Climate-Resilient Village is designed to strengthen a community’s ability to prepare for, adapt to, recover from, and minimise the impacts of climate change while ensuring sustainable socio-economic development.
• The Killai model integrates climate-resilient infrastructure, disaster preparedness, scientific planning, sustainable water management, climate-smart livelihoods, environmental conservation, and active community participation to enhance long-term resilience.
• The village was selected due to its strategic location near the Pichavaram Mangrove ecosystem, one of India’s most important natural coastal buffers, and its high vulnerability to climate-induced disasters affecting fishing and farming communities.
• Nature-based solutions, including mangrove ecosystem conservation, play a central role in reducing disaster risks by protecting the coastline, preserving biodiversity, and improving ecological resilience against extreme weather events.
• The project promotes diversified livelihoods, climate-smart agriculture, improved water resource management, and community awareness programmes, helping reduce climate vulnerability while improving economic security.
• Killai’s successful transformation provides a scalable model for coastal climate adaptation in India, demonstrating how scientific planning, ecosystem restoration, and