Migration, Productivity, and Justice
Τhree stories from three climate hotspots of India– Uttarakhand, the mountain state; West Bengal, the coastal state that is also most vulnerable to extreme weather events, and Jharkhand, the state at the center of India’s just transition debate.
Uttarakhand is seeing mass migration, and ‘ghost villages’ are popping up as hundreds leave the state due to a lack of livelihood and increased extreme weather events making habitation difficult– melting glaciers, declining agriculture, flash floods, and cloud bursts, among others.
West Bengal is one of India’s most vulnerable coastal states with its proximity to the Bay of Bengal. Chunks of agricultural land sink after the annual floods, recurring cyclones destroy and displace masses and fishermen and farmers are jobless.
Jharkhand is one of India’s major coal states with a predominantly indigenous population. With the clean energy push and the ‘phasing down’ of coal, these communities are at the heart of the just transition debate. These are also the people fighting against industries and large emitters and often the governments also, to save their forests. While they continue to live with a lack of basics like clean drinking water, food, and education, their land is mined for profit.
You can watch the stories here