Environmental Displacement in India’s Coastal Regions: Issues, Impacts, and Policy Imperatives

10 Jul Environmental Displacement in India’s Coastal Regions: Issues, Impacts, and Policy Imperatives

This article covers “Daily Current Affairs”  and the Topic  Environmental Displacement in India’s Coastal Regions: Issues, Impacts, and Policy Imperatives

SYLLABUS MAPPING:

GS-3-Environment– Environmental Displacement in India’s Coastal Regions: Issues, Impacts, and Policy Imperatives

FOR PRELIMS

What are the main reasons people are getting displaced from coastal areas in India?

FOR MAINS

What are the key governance and policy failures contributing to displacement in coastal India?

Why in the News? 

India’s coastal areas are undergoing severe environmental and socio-economic upheaval driven by climate change. Escalating sea levels, unchecked development, and the destruction of natural habitats have uprooted numerous communities, pushing them into insecure urban job markets where they lack adequate protection and support systems.

Environmental Dimension

1. Sea-Level Rise: Villages like Satabhaya in Odisha have been submerged due to rising seas, showing direct impacts of climate change on habitation.
2. Coastal Erosion: Shorelines in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, and Karnataka are rapidly receding, threatening settlements and infrastructure.
3. Loss of Mangroves: Mangrove ecosystems that act as natural barriers are being destroyed by industrial and port developments.
4. Degradation of Wetlands: Coastal wetlands and estuaries are shrinking due to encroachments, affecting biodiversity and flood regulation.
5. Sand Dune Disruption: Natural sand dunes, essential for coastal stability, are flattened by construction and tourism infrastructure.
6. Saltwater Intrusion: Rising seas increase salinity in soil and groundwater, making land unfit for agriculture and harming local flora and fauna.
7. Biodiversity Decline: Habitat loss leads to reduced marine and coastal biodiversity, affecting ecological balance and fishing livelihoods.

Socio-Economic Dimension

1. Loss of Livelihoods: Fisherfolk and farmers lose traditional means of earning due to degraded ecosystems and resource scarcity.
2. Unviable Agriculture: Increased salinity and unpredictable weather make agriculture economically unfeasible for coastal farmers.
3. Migration to Cities: Displaced people migrate to urban centers like Chennai, Mumbai, and Bhubaneswar in search of work.
4. Urban Overcrowding: Influx of climate migrants strains urban housing, sanitation, and employment systems.
5. Informal Labour Entry: Migrants are absorbed into low-paying informal sectors, such as construction or domestic work, without job security.
6. Lack of Social Security: Displaced individuals often lack access to social welfare schemes, pensions, and ration cards.
7. Economic Marginalisation: Migration and job loss lead to long-term poverty cycles and exclusion from mainstream economic growth.

Legal and Institutional Dimension

1. No Legal Status for Climate Migrants: There is no recognition or policy addressing slow-onset climate-induced displacement.
2. Article 21 Overlooked: The right to life and dignity under Article 21 is undermined by inadequate legal protections for displaced persons.
3. Ineffective Labour Laws: Acts like BOCW exclude informal and migrant workers from safety nets.
4. Poor Implementation of Disaster Laws: The Disaster Management Act focuses on emergency response, not long-term relocation or adaptation.
5. Weak Enforcement of Environmental Laws: Existing environmental laws fail to consider cumulative ecological degradation from multiple projects.
6. CRZ 2019 Dilution: Coastal Regulation Zone norms have been weakened, allowing commercial expansion in ecologically sensitive areas.
7. Lack of Climate Risk Assessment: Environmental clearances often ignore long-term climate vulnerabilities and social impacts.

Gender and Vulnerability Dimension

1. Disproportionate Impact on Women: Women are more vulnerable due to social norms, lack of mobility, and limited employment choices.
2. Domestic Exploitation: Many displaced women end up as domestic workers in cities where they face abuse, wage theft, and overwork.
3. Health and Nutrition Risks: Displaced women face higher risks of malnutrition, poor reproductive health, and inadequate healthcare access.
4. Education Dropouts: Girls in displaced families are more likely to drop out of school due to economic stress and safety concerns.
5. Trafficking and Bonded Labour: Vulnerable women and children face higher risks of being trafficked or pushed into forced labour.
6. Lack of Gender-Sensitive Policies: Existing relief and rehabilitation frameworks often overlook the unique needs of women and girls.
7. Limited Representation: Displaced women rarely have a voice in planning, resettlement, or climate adaptation discussions.

Development vs. Sustainability Dimension

1. Infrastructure in Fragile Zones: Mega projects like ports and power plants are being developed in ecologically sensitive coastal areas.
2. Sagarmala Projects: Coastal infrastructure under Sagarmala often prioritises commerce over ecological balance.
3. Commercial Aquaculture: Large-scale shrimp farming degrades land, pollutes water, and displaces small-scale fishers.
4. Tourism Pressure: Beach tourism projects encroach on community land and destroy natural buffers like dunes and mangroves.
5. Ignored Climate Impact: Project approvals often neglect cumulative climate-related vulnerabilities and long-term sustainability.
6. Short-Term Economic Goals: Economic development focuses on GDP growth rather than equitable, climate-resilient livelihoods.
7. Weak Regulatory Oversight: Lack of environmental impact monitoring allows continued ecological damage and displacement.

Governance and Democratic Values Dimension

1. Top-Down Relocations: Communities are relocated without proper consultation or participation, violating democratic processes.
2. Unplanned Rehabilitation: Resettlement colonies lack basic infrastructure like schools, hospitals, or drinking water.
3. Criminalisation of Protest: Environmental activists and community leaders face police action, arrests, and surveillance.
4. Suppression of Dissent: Peaceful protests like Save Satabhaya or Ennore face legal intimidation and misinformation campaigns.
5. Lack of Participatory Governance: Affected communities are rarely included in project planning or environmental assessments.
6. Erosion of Trust in Institutions: Repeated neglect of local voices erodes citizens’ faith in democratic institutions and justice.
7. Violation of Constitutional Rights: Displaced communities are denied the right to be heard, resettled with dignity, or seek legal remedy.

Grassroots and Civil Society Dimension

1. Local Movements Emerging: Initiatives like Save Satabhaya, Pattuvam Mangrove Protection, and Ennore protests resist ecological injustice.
2. Community Knowledge Systems: Traditional knowledge on tides, soil, and biodiversity is used by locals to push for sustainable models.
3. Civil Society Advocacy: NGOs and civil groups support litigation, rehabilitation, and awareness on climate-induced displacement.
4. Youth Engagement: Young activists from coastal regions are emerging as voices for justice and sustainability.
5. Legal Petitions and PILs: Several climate and displacement issues are being taken up in courts by civil society actors.
6. Collaborative Research: Academic institutions partner with communities to document ecological damage and propose policy alternatives.
7. Calls for Climate Justice: There is a growing demand for recognizing the rights of vulnerable communities as part of climate adaptation plans.

Ethical and Human Rights Dimension

1. Right to Life Threatened: Rising seas, forced displacement, and lack of resources threaten the basic right to life and dignity.
2. Intergenerational Injustice: Environmental degradation today compromises the rights and futures of coming generations.
3. Disproportionate Suffering: Poor, coastal, and indigenous populations bear the brunt of climate change they did not cause.
4. Moral Responsibility of the State: The state must uphold ethical governance by protecting the vulnerable, not just facilitating profit-driven development.
5. Global Inequity Reflected Locally: Coastal poor in India are victims of both global emissions and domestic policy failures.
6. Need for Rights-Based Adaptation: Adaptation strategies must center on human rights, not just physical infrastructure.
7. Climate Justice as a Constitutional Duty: Protecting life, environment, and equitable development aligns with the Directive Principles of State Policy and Fundamental Rights.

Way Forward

1. Legally Recognize Climate Displacement: Develop a comprehensive legal and policy framework to recognize and protect slow-onset climate migrants as a distinct category, ensuring access to housing, social protection, and livelihoods.
2. Reform CRZ and Environmental Regulations: Strengthen the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms and environmental clearance processes to integrate long-term climate risks, cumulative impacts, and community consent into planning.
3. Ensure Rights-Based Rehabilitation: Design and implement participatory, rights-based relocation and rehabilitation plans that guarantee basic services, infrastructure, land titles, and livelihood support for displaced communities.
4. Expand Social Protection Coverage: Include displaced informal workers in schemes like ESHRAM, ration distribution, health insurance, and labour protections, with special provisions for women and children.
5. Promote Community-Based Adaptation: Support local ecological restoration, such as mangrove replanting and wetland conservation, led by communities using traditional knowledge and inclusive planning.
6. Strengthen Climate Governance and Accountability: Establish transparent mechanisms for climate adaptation planning, monitoring of infrastructure projects, and grievance redressal with active civil society and community participation.
7. Mainstream Climate Justice in Development: Reorient coastal development strategies (like Sagarmala) to align with principles of climate justice, equity, and intergenerational sustainability, prioritizing vulnerable populations over industrial expansion.

Q. Which of the following statements regarding climate change impacts on India’s coastal regions is/are correct?
1. Coastal erosion in India is limited to the eastern coastline.
2. Mangroves act as natural buffers against storm surges and coastal flooding.
3. The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification 2019 strengthened environmental protections along the coast.
4. Saltwater intrusion due to sea-level rise affects both agriculture and groundwater quality.
Select the correct answer using the code below:
A. 1 and 3 only
B. 2 and 4 only
C. 2, 3, and 4 only
D. 1, 2, and 4 only

Answer: B

Mains Questions

Q. Discuss the multi-dimensional impact of climate change on India’s coastal communities and suggest policy measures to ensure climate justice and sustainable development.

                                                                                                                                                         (250 words, 15 marks)