As the waves creep closer to his home in Kankesanthurai, in Sri Lanka’s northernmost Jaffna Peninsula, 41- year-old Seelan Kandeepan recalls how the sea continuously consumes what was once a thriving shoreline. His family has lived in this coastal village for generations, but now they struggle daily with an ever-changing coastline.

“I’ve seen the ocean take away our land, little by little. The extent of land we had a decade ago has reduced. The water has turned saltier, and the well water is no longer fit for drinking and cultivation,” he says.

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Photo credits: Sahana David Menon