Climate Change & Migration in India – UPSC Key Topic

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Climate change is silently reshaping India's internal migration landscape. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and extreme events are forcing people to leave their homes—not across borders, but within the country. This evolving trend has far-reaching implications for governance, planning, and exam relevance.

Climate migration in India due to drought and urban overcrowding

Climate-Induced Internal Migration: An Overview

Unlike economic or social migration, climate-induced migration is involuntary and often reactive. People in rural and ecologically fragile regions are increasingly pushed out by recurring floods, droughts, and coastal erosion. This migration is mostly intra-state, moving from rural areas to nearby towns and cities.

  • Push Factors: Floods, droughts, soil degradation, water scarcity
  • Nature of Migration: Seasonal, distress-led, and often circular

Climate Hotspots Driving Migration

Certain regions are disproportionately affected, making them climate-vulnerable migration hubs:

  • Coastal Areas: Sundarbans (West Bengal), Odisha coastlines—cyclones & sea-level rise
  • Drought-Prone Zones: Bundelkhand, Marathwada—dry spells and groundwater depletion
  • Himalayan Belt: Uttarakhand—glacial retreat, landslides, flash floods

These zones witness frequent displacements, impacting livelihoods and access to services.

Socio-Economic Consequences

Unplanned climate migration exerts pressure on urban infrastructure and creates new social vulnerabilities:

  • Urban Crowding: Slums, informal settlements, housing insecurity
  • Health Risks: Poor sanitation, air pollution, lack of health access
  • Gendered Impact: Women and children face safety and nutritional challenges

Such migration also affects productivity in both source and destination areas, disrupting labour markets.

Government Policy and Institutional Gaps

India currently lacks a formal policy framework addressing internal climate-induced migration. Key observations:

  • No dedicated tracking system for climate migration data
  • National Adaptation Funds focus on infrastructure, not mobility
  • Employment schemes (like MGNREGA) can act as climate-resilience tools

There's a strong need to integrate climate resilience into rural development and migration governance policies.

The Way Forward: Adaptation Over Reaction

  • Build climate-resilient rural economies
  • Decentralize disaster preparedness and response
  • Include mobility in climate adaptation planning
  • Develop climate-resilient cities with inclusive housing policies

Migration should be seen not just as a problem, but also as a climate adaptation strategy—if well supported.

Conclusion

India’s internal migration patterns are shifting due to climate change, creating a new layer of complexity in governance and development. For civil services aspirants, this is a critical topic that intersects environment, disaster response, rural policy, and ethics. Keeping track of these evolving trends can significantly enhance the quality of answers in both Prelims and Mains examinations.

Source: The Hindu – July 2025

Relevance for UPSC/GPSC Exams

This topic fits directly under:

  • GS Paper I: Urbanization, population & settlement geography
  • GS Paper III: Disaster management, climate adaptation
  • Essay Paper: Environmental challenges and human mobility
  • GS Paper IV: Ethics of climate justice and policy equity

It also connects to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and India’s commitments under the Paris Agreement.

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