The project seeks to study the aftermath of the ‘Hudhud’ cyclone among fishing communities in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. The cyclone hit the Indian east coast on 12 October 2014 and, among others effects, caused substantial damage to fishing livelihoods.

The pilot study has a dual purpose, one, to function as a study of social and cultural aspects of micro-loans issued to women in marginalised positions, in this case its usage in the aftermath of the natural disaster that has hit fisher communities in Andhra Pradesh. Two, to initiate a comparative study on disaster management and livelihood by contrasting it with the comprehensive studies on the morality negotiations of relief disbursement following the 2008 Tsunami among Tamil fishermen.

The study locates its interests in the immediacy of the situation, as well as to pursue an epistemological inquiry into community based social and cultural responses to disasters vis a vis operations during such events from the Indian state and from international and national NGOs.