Rising sea levels, changing livelihoods, and a test of democratic values

Climate Change’s Impact on India’s Coastline and Social and Economic Displacement

• Climate change is causing displacement of communities dependent on agriculture, fishing, and coastal ecosystems across India’s coastline.

• Displaced populations are forced into precarious urban labor markets.

• In Odisha, coastal settlements like Satabhaya have been swallowed by the sea, forcing villagers to relocate to government resettlement colonies.

• Similar patterns are unfolding in Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam, Gujarat’s Kutch region, and the flood-prone lowlands of Kerala.

Projects and Environmental Degradation

• Industrial and infrastructural expansion along coastal zones has compounded ecological degradation.

• Environmental clearances for many projects have overlooked cumulative climate risks, intensifying ecological and social vulnerabilities.

• Displaced populations are increasingly absorbed into the informal economy as construction workers, brick kiln labourers, and domestic workers in urban centers.

Legal Lacunae on Climate Displacement

• Existing frameworks like the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notifications are limited to disaster response or environmental conservation.

• The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and State Action Plans recognize vulnerability but lack targeted strategies for the rehabilitation of displaced populations or integration into labour markets.