Define environmental migration. Discuss its emerging significance in the context of India’s climate vulnerabilities.

Answer: Model Answer approach

The two primary sections of the response are “impact of environmental migration in India” and “actions that India should take to address the issues.” It may be organized as shown below.

Give an overview of environmental migration and include some data.

• Environmental deterioration and changing climatic patterns are the main causes of the growing problem of environmental migration, which has attracted a lot of attention recently. The International Organization of Migration (IOM) defines environmental migration as the movement of an individual or groups of individuals who are compelled to leave their habitual place of residence, either temporarily or permanently, within a State or across an international border, primarily due to abrupt or progressive changes in the environment that negatively impact their lives or living conditions.
• Nearly 32 million people were displaced in 2022 due to environmental problems and climate threats, which is 41% more than in 2008, according to the UNHCR.

Body: Describe how environmental migration has affected India and how the country is attempting to address the problem.

• Communities are currently being displaced by floods in the Ganges and Brahmaputra areas, droughts in central India, and sea level rise in the Sundarbans. Additionally, as a result of drought, desertification, and glacier melting, migration within India is increasing owing to climate change. Whole ghost towns or abandoned settlements are dispersed throughout the Himalayas as a result of the much larger scale of migration from the highlands. Out of 16,793 towns in the state, 1,053 are empty, and 405 have fewer than ten individuals, according to data from the 2011 census.

Conclude comprehensively by outlining the significance of the problem for immediate international action since environmental migration is a “threat multiplier.”

• Given the worldwide importance of tackling this issue, India has been actively participating in international cooperation on environmental migration. In order to help other poor nations become more resilient to migration brought on by climate change, India also offers capacity building assistance. This includes initiatives for knowledge sharing, workshops, and training programs designed to increase local capacity to adapt to the effects of climate change.

Establishing an international framework and a widely accepted terminology for addressing migration brought on by environmental issues is imperative in order to protect those who are forced to relocate as a result of environmental changes.

Practice Question

Question: The Himalayan region is witnessing the phenomenon of “ghost villages.” What are the implications of such migration for regional development and security?

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