An interview with: Naw Rutha, professional SSI scuba diving instructor with DIVEIndia
Country & Region: Andaman Islands, India
Breakthrough: Coral Reefs, Coastal Tourism
Beneficiaries / Impact: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a picturesque archipelago in the Bay of Bengal, comprise 572 islands (according to the Andaman government) known for their stunning palm-lined beaches and diverse ecosystems. Only 38 of these islands are inhabited, home to over 400,000 residents. The islands rely on reservoirs and springs for their drinking water, but face chronic water scarcity, particularly during the dry season from January to May. Climate change exacerbates this issue, with 75–80% of annual precipitation lost to runoff and seawater, leading to significant challenges in maintaining freshwater supplies. Projections indicate that by 2050, climate change could further deplete groundwater resources in small island states like the Andamans, intensifying the need for sustainable water management and climate resilience strategies.
The Karen community, with its 3,000 members, is perhaps among the most affected by environmental changes happening in the Andaman Islands, India. The Karen are an ethnic group native to the Kayin State of Myanmar (Burma), and their cultural ties to the ocean have made them uniquely susceptible to the adversities of climate change—even as they have relocated around the world. They have witnessed severe coral bleaching due to rising ocean temperatures, threatening their traditional livelihoods tied to the ocean and fisheries.
The Edges of Earth Expedition team dove with Naw Rutha, a 29-year-old professional scuba diver from the Karen village of Webi. She is the only woman scuba diver in this community that has lived on these islands for nearly a century. The Karen people are deeply intertwined with the natural environment, relying on the ocean and forests for their livelihood. Naw Rutha’s journey highlights the resilience and adaptability of her community as they navigate the challenges posed by a changing climate.
ABOUT THE KAREN ISLANDERS
Living on a tropical island surrounded by beautiful forests, beaches, and an ocean alive with life is what I remember from my childhood. This is how I would describe my home—the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. As an islander, the ocean is as much my home as the land itself. My community and I have a deep connection with both the land and sea, living in harmony with nature. I chose to become a scuba diver and work on Havelock Island, where I instruct and help students get certified. My goal is to train and educate more people from my community about scuba diving, especially the women, as it is not a common activity for us.
I am a member of the Karen people, who primarily live in Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and the Andaman Islands. Recently, more Karen have migrated to the United States and Australia seeking safety from civil unrest. Here in the Andamans—the north and middle Andamans—we have lived peacefully for a long time. In 1925, our forefathers from Myanmar settled in Webi Village with the help of the British, who turned the Karen people into foresters. Twelve families were given land through a colonization scheme and promised the opportunity to build our community here. Today, there are about 3,000 members of the Karen community spread across different villages. In 2025, we will celebrate our 100th year on these islands!
DEFYING TRADITIONAL GENDER ROLES
The Karen community in the Andamans is lesser known and unique to this archipelago in India. Our way of life has always been deeply connected to nature, with many of our people working as fishermen or in agriculture. When it comes to the sea, you can find our people as boat captains and crew members. But these roles are typically reserved for men, while women usually take on traditional roles within the home, supporting the family. It’s uncommon to see women engaging in occupations that involve the ocean, even if our community feels a closeness to it.
That’s why my role here in Havelock within the diving community is different. As the first women scuba instructor of Karen descent, I’m doing something that’s against the grain. Most diving jobs within our community are held by men. The establishment of DIVEIndia, a reputable scuba diving centre, has changed things for our community. Many members, including myself, have found employment through diving, allowing us to stay connected to the ocean—a resource we have always respected and valued. This opportunity has not only provided us with jobs but also strengthened our bond with the sea, both as individuals and as a collective people.
I am still the only woman employed in scuba diving in my entire community. I am trying my best to bring more women into the diving community, but it’s hard when Karen people believe that scuba diving is just for men, not for women. They often ask me, “Why are you doing this?” I hear this over and over—that I’m doing too much of a man’s work. It’s hard for me to keep explaining that it’s not like that. For many women in my community, they think diving is too hard. You are outside all day, lifting heavy tanks and equipment, and you have to teach others. It’s true that it’s a lot of hard work to become a good scuba diver, but that doesn’t mean it’s only for men. Another issue is the exposure to sun, salt water, and harsh elements. This is a big concern in my community, especially as the summer days are getting longer.
I always say, “If a man can do it, we can too!” I encourage them by saying, “It’s fun, you get to see the underwater world. It’s really amazing, you should come!” That’s the first part. The next part is explaining the importance of becoming divers so we know what we are fighting to protect against climate change and human impacts. But this is not easy. I hope that with time, more women in my community will learn scuba diving from me. I want to share my love of the ocean with others. We do learn to swim and freedive at a young age, but taking it one step further to scuba diving is different—I want to change that in my work.
From a young age, my life has revolved around the ocean and the forest. It’s what we know and are accustomed to. Today, as a dive professional, the ocean is not just my passion, it’s my livelihood—it’s my whole world. This connection drives me to use my diving skills and knowledge to protect the ocean and inspire others to do the same. If I stayed at home and did what was traditionally expected of me, I wouldn’t learn about the climate crisis or meet diverse people from around the world. My goal is to be a role model for my students, learn from others, and educate everyone who visits about the beautiful underwater world and the dangers it faces from climate change and human exploitation.
THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS UNAVOIDABLE
The most visible impact of climate change in the Andaman Islands is coral bleaching, caused by rising ocean temperatures. This year, in May, we witnessed widespread coral bleaching, leading to coral death. This affects marine life, including fish and other critical species, which in turn impacts tourism—which so many of us depend on now as an alternative livelihood to fishing, for example. If tourists stop coming because of dead coral, many in my community will lose their jobs.
We depend on the ocean, yet we are harming it. Tourism is becoming even more important because there are fewer fish due to dying reefs. So, the fishing community suffers, leading to a shortage of food, as most of us rely heavily on fish in our diets. Being from a fisherman community, our livelihood feels endangered. We now have to rely on different sources for protein and look for other job options as fishing no longer pays well. Agriculture patterns have changed with the climate, and our community is struggling to understand and adapt quickly enough. It’s all interconnected.
I have witnessed significant changes in our local environment from my childhood to now. Rising temperatures have extended summers and altered rain patterns. With these longer summers, we are experiencing excessive heat, which is difficult to endure. Working or even walking outside in the afternoon is now very challenging. The heat has become unbearable with little that can be done to mitigate it, and this has affected our standard of living.
Cyclones are more frequent and unpredictable. Previously, the rain would start in mid-May, but now, as we approach the end of June, it has only just begun—this year being the worst I’ve seen. The Karen people rely on rice cultivation just as much as seafood, with the season typically starting with the rainfall. But here we are, and nothing has started yet. This rain delay is a serious problem. The water shortage has caused our rivers and streams to dry up due to these seasonal changes. Freshwater scarcity is a significant issue, especially for people in North Andaman who are now facing a freshwater crisis.
In the past, we never faced such severe water shortages. The river streams would sometimes have less water, but they never went completely dry like now. This year, the government water supply is only received every four days, compared to every two days last year. Until a few years ago, we had 24/7 water supply and never faced any water issues. Villagers now have to physically retrieve their water from the river, which can contain potentially contaminated water, posing health risks. We can’t grow our own vegetables because of the water shortage and have to depend on limited vegetable supplies from mainland India. This shift means we now have to buy them from the market, which significantly altered our lives as it’s not something we’re used to doing. We have to plan our water usage down to the very last drop. We need to think about where that water will go and when we will get it back. We have to consider if we will have enough to work, live, and survive.
For me, the biggest challenge was having to move my house because of water shortages in Havelock. The municipal water supply was limited, and storing water became impossible. With my working hours, I often ended up buying water from the shop or waiting in long lines to pull water from the well. This happened in 2019, but it hasn’t happened since. So, I decided to move to a place with a more reliable water supply to ensure I am prepared for the future, as I see these issues firsthand in my work and personal life.
NOT JUST ONE, INSTEAD IT MUST BE ALL
But this isn’t just about me. We all have to plan and act. It’s not just about my community or the island either; everyone around the world has to address these issues head on, and right now. Coral bleaching is just one problem, but its impacts extend far beyond a dying reef on these islands. Its effects are felt throughout the entire community—and even around the world. Pollution in the ocean, our plastics problem, overfishing, and carbon emissions all need to be controlled. I believe there should be limits on everything, especially on the island—limits on the number of cars, resorts, and boats, and a total halt to deforestation. By gradually cutting back, we could see positive progress for both people and the planet.
At the end of the day, I live on a small island. We are here, and we have to take care of it. It has to be a cultural change, not just an individual change. If we don’t act now, everything will be destroyed. There will be no corals or fish left, and the island won’t remain a tropical paradise—tourists won’t come. With rising sea levels, the island might not even exist in the future! Here, the future seems uncertain, and it’s crucial to act now to preserve what we have. But no matter what the future holds in store, I am hopeful.
We need more support for vulnerable coastal communities like mine. While efforts such as beach cleanups and discussions about plastics are a start, they are far from enough. We need more proactive measures and increased awareness about the climate-related problems we face. Solutions must be more comprehensive, with real regulations around sustainable development, construction, deforestation, and invasive fishing techniques. We need tourism and development, but in a way that creates balance and doesn’t accelerate existing problems. In the Andamans, real solutions to climate change are rare—that must change.
My community isn’t fully aware of what’s coming. I want them to know more. When I talk to my mother about the changes she’s seen over the years, she sometimes thinks the worst is yet to come, but I believe we are already in a critical state. She tells me it used to be fully evergreen forests here, home to more birds than you could imagine. It’s certainly not for me, as I don’t see many birds. I want to go back to my community, talk to the elders, and learn from their experiences. Everyone in my community knows each other, and it’s vital to understand more from those who came before us. Their world, as they knew it, is disappearing. Today, instead of thriving marine life, our elders see dead fish washing up on shore. My generation needs to be the reason this comes back.
I urge everyone, not just here but around the world, to become more aware of what climate change can do to our planet and to communities like mine that are so vulnerable. We all need to educate ourselves and adopt more sustainable lifestyles. The problems we face today are a product of humanity as a whole, and small changes everywhere can make a significant difference. We must respect the ocean and its life. What we do in the next ten years will impact the next 100 years. If everyone comes together, understands the problems, and works towards solutions, we can see progress. In the meantime, I will continue to do my part by bringing as many people as I can closer to the sea.
As told to Andi Cross in June 2024.
ABOUT THE OCEAN BREAKTHROUGHS
Resulting from the joint efforts of the Ocean & Coastal Zones community and building on the Ocean for Climate Declaration, the Ocean Breakthroughs have identified five turning points to reach by 2030 in order to achieve a healthy and productive ocean in 2050. These five turning points are focused around the most crucial ocean sectors: marine conservation, ocean renewable energy, shipping, aquatic food, and coastal tourism. Accelerated action and investments in each will help unlock the potential of the ocean as a source of solutions to the pressing challenges posed by climate change and biodiversity loss.
The scientific evidence is clear: as a major climate regulator and the largest living space on Earth, the ocean is integral to deliver on the goals of the Paris Agreement and the Global Biodiversity Framework. The Ocean Breakthroughs are science-based targets designed to boost mitigation and adaptation efforts, for the benefit of People and Nature. They will contribute to delivering on the global campaigns led by the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions, namely the Race to Resilience and Race to Zero, and their respective action agendas: the Sharm-El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda and the 2030 Breakthroughs.
ABOUT THE HLC X EDGES OF EARTH EXPEDITION
The women-led global expedition, Edges of Earth, has partnered with the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions (HLC) to bring to life the Ocean Breakthroughs initiative by sharing personal accounts and climate action stories from remote coastal communities. This media partnership will feature interview-style stories that highlight the experiences and efforts of locals, Indigenous communities, nonprofits, and ocean scientists in addressing climate change. Celebrating its one-year anniversary, Edges of Earth has traveled to 25 countries (with nearly 30+ more to go throughout 2025) working closely with diverse groups to understand and amplify their climate resilience strategies. Through this collaboration, Edges of Earth will spotlight the five Ocean Breakthroughs by showcasing diverse voices and solutions to accelerate global climate action.