Across Kerala’s coastal landscapes, tidal flooding quietly reshapes both land and life. Unlike earthquakes or cyclones that arrive with sudden force and widespread destruction, tidal flooding advances slowly, eroding people’s homes, health, and stability. Settlements are abandoned, diseases spread, and there is a looming unease of living with water that never quite recedes. Following sustained advocacy from panchayats in the region, the Kerala government has now declared tidal flooding a state-specific natural disaster.
Named after the persistent dampness that seeps into walls and daily existence, നനവ് or Nanavu is an invitation to listen to the tides, the grief of submerged homes, and the quiet strength of communities who continue to endure and adapt. Narrated through the eyes of a girl and her small ritual of keeping her slippers above water, this silent comic traces everyday life along Kerala’s tidal edges, where backwaters, sea, and pokkali (rice) fields move to the rhythm of the moon and the tides.
Made possible with the support of the Common Ground Initiative, the story also follows the work of Equinoct, a nonprofit based in Ernakulam that encourages residents to measure and record the floodwater entering their homes. Using simple formats such as lunar calendars, people track moon phases, fishing cycles, and high tides to anticipate and prepare for stretches of flooding. These observations are gradually combined with tidal data, rainfall records, and real-time monitoring to build a deeper, community-led understanding of the shifting waters.
Flip through the comic here:
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Know more
- Read about the impact of rising sea levels on coastal cities and the need for better local systems, from data to policy.
- Learn how women in Kochi’s low-lying areas are using community mapping and theatre to draw attention to tidal flooding.
- Watch the Jalam Theatre Company’s production of Chevittorma, a play in Malyalam about a community grappling with tidal flooding.
Do more
- Explore Seasight, a web-based tidal flood forecasting application developed by Equinoct combining community-sourced data with scientific modeling.
