Climate change is displacing and redefining coastal Indian lives

Source: The post Climate change is displacing and redefining coastal Indian lives has been created, based on the article “Rising seas, shifting lives and a test of democratic values” published in “The Indian Express” on 8th July 2025

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper3- Environment

Context: India’s coastal regions are facing rapid environmental and socio-economic disruption due to climate change. Rising seas, unregulated development, and habitat loss have displaced many, forcing them into vulnerable urban labour markets without proper safeguards or support.

For detailed information on Climate induced migration read this article here

Climate Change and Coastal Displacement

1. Rising Seas and Vanishing Villages: Coastal settlements in Odisha, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Kerala are being eroded. Satabhaya village in Odisha has been submerged, with residents relocated to poorly equipped colonies.
2. Loss of Traditional Livelihoods: Farming and fishing are under threat from salinity, erosion, and mangrove loss. Ports and tourism projects, like those in Honnavar, accelerate this damage.
3. Forced Migration to Urban Centres: Displaced families move to cities such as Chennai, Bhubaneswar, and Mumbai, where they face precarious living and working conditions.

Development and Environmental Degradation

1. Infrastructural Expansion in Fragile Zones: Projects under Sagarmala, energy ventures, and commercial aquaculture have severely damaged coastal ecosystems like mangroves, dunes, and wetlands.
2. Ignored Climate Risks in Clearances: Project approvals often ignore cumulative climate risks, leading to a development model that increases ecological and human vulnerability.
3. Labour Vulnerabilities Post-Displacement: Migrants are pushed into informal work such as construction or domestic service, lacking protections or sustainable income.

Labour Exploitation and Legal Gaps

1. Debt Bondage and Informal Labour: Displaced people often rely on wage advances, creating cycles of bonded labour and dependence.
2. Lack of Labour Rights: India’s labour laws, like the Building and Other Construction Workers Act, exclude most informal workers, offering little legal recourse.
3. Gendered Exploitation: Displaced women in domestic work are at high risk of abuse, trafficking, and wage theft.

Inadequate Legal and Policy Framework

1. No Recognition of Climate Displacement: Though Article 21 ensures dignity, no law directly addresses displacement caused by slow-onset climate disasters.
2. Limited Environmental and Disaster Laws: Acts like the Disaster Management Act and Environment Protection Act focus on immediate response, not long-term displacement.
3. Dilution of CRZ 2019: CRZ 2019 promotes tourism and industrialisation, weakening community safeguards and enabling commercial expansion in fragile zones.

Grassroots Resistance and Challenges

1. Community-Led Protests and Mobilisation: Movements like Save Satabhaya, Pattuvam Mangrove Protection, and opposition to Adani’s Ennore project show local resistance.
2. Criminalisation of Environmental Defenders: Protesters face intimidation and surveillance, undermining freedom of association and protest.
3. Unjustified Managed Retreat: Authorities cite climate change to force relocation without consent or proper planning.

Towards a Rights-Based Adaptation Strategy

1. Mainstreaming Climate Migrants in Policy: Policies must guarantee housing, healthcare, education, and decent work for displaced persons.
2. Legal Reform and Labour Protections: Labour codes must include protections for migrants, especially in informal sectors.
3. Upholding Democratic Values: Protecting climate migrants reflects India’s constitutional ideals and commitment to SDG Target 8.7: ending forced labour and ensuring decent work.

Question for practice:

Examine how climate change-induced displacement is reshaping the livelihoods, rights, and legal protections of coastal communities in India.