Climate Change Induce Displacement and Migration: An Overview of South Asian States Policy and Practices
Author Name
Annada Padhi
Keywords
Climate Change, Displacement
Abstract
The impacts of climate change and environmental disasters have been increasingly apparent in recent years. Around the world, millions of people are displaced by climate-related disasters each year, and this trend is expected to increase as climate change accelerates. South Asian states are no exception to the escalating impacts of climate change. Every year, thousands of people are affected and forcibly displaced, at least temporarily, by natural disasters such as droughts, floods, cyclones, earthquakes, heat waves, and shoreline erosion. Moreover, the vulnerability of populations to climate-induced displacement extends beyond the risk of physical resettlement. There are also economic, social, and cultural fallouts from such disasters. The displacement of people from their habitats has led to greater poverty and marginalization by losing common property resources and land and housing rights. This paper seeks to address a few key research questions; namely, how well do the policy frameworks and institutions of South Asian states (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal) protect those displaced from their homes by climate change and natural disasters. How are displaced populations in the context of natural disasters dealt with as part of current risk reduction and mitigation strategies at the national and regional levels in South Asia? Finally, underlining the major trade offs and challenges in the existing strategies and policies of the states. The present study argues that there is a need to discern climate refugee crisis as a compelling issue that should explicitly be addressed and included in policy frameworks on both levels. Considerable effort has been put in the recent years into improving the condition of internally displaced persons during the response and recovery phase. It is argued that inclusion through a community-based approach is needed in all the phases of climate induced disaster management to aptly address the needs of such people.
Conference
4th International E-Conference “Migration, Governance, and Covid-19: Perspectives, Policies, Opportunities, and Challenges”