Climate Migration in India: Survival Strategic amid the Global Warming

picture credits to: South Asian voices

International Organization for Migration (IOM) has described that migrant as a person who moves away from his or her place of usual residence, whether within a country or across an international border, temporarily or permanently, and for a variety of reasons. In South Asia, migration plays a crucial role in rural livelihoods by helping to diversify risks, generate extra income, share knowledge and technology through remittances, build social networks across different regions, and offer improved living opportunities in response to the gradual effects of climate change. Governments should avoid promoting the idea of staying in declining environments that could jeopardize health due to slow-onset climate issues, such as saltwater contamination of drinking water and the rise of diseases spread through air and water in warming conditions.

As the largest country in South Asia, India has a population that is especially susceptible to the severe effects of climate change. About 67% of its 1.3 billion residents live in rural areas and rely on climate-sensitive industries like agriculture, fisheries, and forestry for their livelihoods. Known as the second-largest wheat producer after China, India is expected to see a reduction of up to 20% in wheat production due to the impact of heatwaves on the water cycle and increased drought conditions. Additionally, heatwaves have significant implications for energy needs, particularly electricity, and can lead to fatalities.

A World Bank report titled "Groundswell – Preparing for Internal Climate Migration" warns that without immediate global and national climate action, over 140 million people are expected to migrate within their countries by 2050. The "State of India's Environment-2022" report highlights that India ranks as the fourth most affected country globally regarding climate change-induced migration, with more than three million people displaced from their homes in 2020-2021. A 2021 study, "Climate Induced Displacement and Migration in India," revealed that individuals are migrating to escape poverty caused by the collapse of traditional livelihoods and failing infrastructure due to climate change. As of 2023, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) reports that approximately 14 million people in India have been displaced as a result of climate change.

The Global Climate Risk Index 2021, published by the research organization Germanwatch, ranks India as one of the top 10 nations most impacted by climate change. Seasonal migration is significant among farming communities facing droughts and floods that harm crops, as well as cyclones that disrupt fishing. This trend is especially notable in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, where many people migrate during times of limited agricultural or fishing occupations to seek employment in construction or cotton fields in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and New Delhi.

Sustainability and Climate Migration

Climate migration in India reflects a sustainability concept. In 1987, the United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The International Organization for Migration (IOM) acknowledges that migration plays a crucial role in sustainable development for migrants and their communities. It provides significant advantages, such as job skills, cultural diversity, and improvements in living standards in their home regions through the transfer of skills and financial resources.

Migration is frequently viewed as a sign of inadequate climate adaptation, but it should be seen as a viable and sustainable response to climate change. For Indian citizens, particularly those engaged in traditional occupations like agriculture, farming, and fishing, climate migration can be a way to seek a better life amid the gradual impacts of climate change, such as heatwaves, floods, and typhoons, which pose threats to various sectors, including the economy, social stability, and health.

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Climate Migration in India: Survival Strategic amid the Global Warming

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