Climate Refugees: The Overlooked Victims Of Climate Change
- IJLLR Journal
- Feb 4
- 1 min read
Vaishnavi Deshpande, B.B.A. LL.B. (Hons.), SVKM’s NMIMS, Indore
ABSTRACT
The rapidly accelerating climate crisis has brought along large-scale displacement from natural calamities, rise in sea-level, and other climate- induced impacts, thus adding to a new category of "climate refugees." These people, without legal status and protection under the 1951 Refugee Convention, are exceptionally vulnerable. This article discusses drivers and a comparable scale of climate-induced displacement, the reluctance of developed countries to confront the crisis, and focuses on the role of India as a contributor to and victim of climate change. The specific analyses presented range from the impact of sea-level rise and cyclones on India's extensive coastline and riverbank erosion-for instance, in Assam-to increasing frequency of droughts that triggers rural-to-urban migration. The article further discusses other humanitarian and policy challenges, including psychological and economic burdens on communities dealing with climate displacement, and profound deficiencies in international policy. It emphasizes the urgency needed in global and national actions against this growing crisis, including granting legal status to climate refugees, scaling up finance for adaptation and mitigation processes, and empowering communities through community-based approaches. The article concludes by reiterating the need for international cooperation, technological innovation, and aggressive reductions in carbon emissions to minimize future displacement and create a more sustainable and equitable future.
Keywords: Climate refugee, Displacement, Migration, International Policy, Climate crisis, legal status
