Key Observation:
Climate change is no longer a future threat — it is actively transforming where and how millions of Indians live, work, and survive.
Relevance : GS-1 & GS-3 – Geography (climate impact) and Economy (migration, livelihoods).
Bundelkhand: Droughts, Heat, and Exodus
| Parameter | Status |
| Location | 13 districts in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh |
| Climate Impact | 🔻 Rainfall, 🔺 Temperature (+2 to +3.5°C by 2100) |
| Drought Frequency | 9 droughts (Datia, 1998–2009); 8 in Lalitpur, Mahoba |
| Result | Massive male-dominated migration to cities like Delhi, Surat, Bengaluru |
Impacts:
- Agricultural failure and indebtedness
- Occupational shift: from farming to mining & construction
- Family separation and rising vulnerability of women and children
- Erosion of village social fabric and school dropout rates
“Migration in Bundelkhand is not adaptation — it is a form of crisis-induced displacement.” – Dr. S.S. Jatav, BBAU
Charpauli, Bangladesh: Floods and Erosion
| Parameter | Status |
| Location | Along the Jamuna river |
| Climate Impact | 🔺 Floods & erosion due to rising river discharge |
| Riverbank Erosion | Left bank: -12m/year; Right bank: -52m/year (1990–2020) |
| Migration Pattern | Permanent displacement to Dhaka, nearby towns |
Impacts:
- Entire villages vanish annually into the Jamuna
- Families move first inland, then migrate completely
- Shift to agriculture in new villages or informal jobs in cities
“Migration becomes the last-resort adaptation when resilience fails.” – Jan Freihardt, ETH Zürich
Vidarbha & Marathwada: Heat Stress and Debt Cycles
| Parameter | Status |
| Region | Rain shadow zone of the Western Ghats |
| Temperature | >50°C in peak May months (Satellite data, 2024) |
| Rainfall | Erratic: fewer rainy days, intense bursts, long dry gaps |
| Livelihood Impact | Seasonal migration to sugar cane farms in Western Maharashtra & Karnataka |
Cane Cutter Migrant Life:
- 4–6 month migration, hired as “koita” couples (husband: cutter, wife: stacker)
- Advance wage: ₹50,000–₹5 lakh (debt cycle begins)
- Output requirement: ₹50,000 ÷ ₹367/tonne = 136 tonnes sugar cane to cut
- Live in makeshift plastic tents, with no water, sanitation, or electricity
- Seniors (70+) now migrate due to labour shortages
“Climate change is pushing people into debt bondage and worsening intergenerational precarity.” – Ankita Bhatkhande, Asar
Scale of the Crisis
| Indicator | Data |
| Global Climate Migrants (2022) | ~20 million/year (Internal migration) – International Refugee Assistance Project |
| India’s Sugarcane Production (2021) | 50 crore tonnes, ₹20,000+ crore revenue |
| Protection for Migrants | Weak; migrants face wage theft, health crises, and legal invisibility |
India lacks a dedicated legal framework for climate-induced internal migration.
Adaptation or Displacement?
- Adaptation (Ideal Scenario):
- Diversified livelihoods
- Climate-resilient cropping
- Social security safety nets
- Displacement (Current Reality):
- Loss of land + livelihoods = forced migration
- Women and elderly disproportionately burdened
- Children drop out of school or face malnutrition
“Migration may appear adaptive, but for many in India, it reflects a collapse of resilience.” — Sayantan Datta
Policy Recommendations
| Area | Action Needed |
| Legal Framework | Recognize climate migrants as a vulnerable group under national policy |
| Housing & Rights | Ensure safe shelters, portable social security, and labour protections |
| Livelihood Resilience | Invest in climate-smart agriculture, water access, and MGNREGA coverage |
| Data & Planning | Real-time climate–migration data to inform policy at district/state levels |
| Interstate Coordination | Protect rights of migrants across source and destination states |
Bottom Line
- India is living through a rural climate migration crisis — slow, silent, and scattered.
- Without urgent legal and policy recognition, millions risk falling into permanent precarity.
