Climate Change and Mass Displacement in India

For the past few weeks, Southern India has been struggling with severe rain and flooding due. Thousands have died, and during these unprecedented times, the only thing that remains clear is that this is a repercussion of climate change.

These severe monsoons are an indicator that India is a country that could suffer irreversible climate changes and more to come such as, “glacier retreat in the Himalayas, rising sea levels, intense tropical cyclones, flooding, and erratic monsoon” (Quartz India). According to CNN, “...​​climate experts and scientists have warned the climate crisis could displace more than a billion people in the coming decades -- potentially forming a class of "climate migrants" and refugees. Flooding is one of the major dangers...” This has proven true in India.

Although many cities have switched to more “climate-smart” ways of life, with the poverty and lack of resources to be able to relocate to cities, and safer places to live, many have no choice but to continue to rebuild in unsafe areas where weather disasters are prone. The people who have to do this are the ones with the least capacity, least amount of voice, and the least ability to adapt to climate change (Andrew Harper on the Daily Climate Show). A huge portion of India’s population fits into this category. They are an extremely vulnerable population and the answer to this would be climate-proof infrastructure that could prevent further events like this from happening and/or prevent more people from becoming refugees in their own country.