{"id":47267,"date":"2025-07-08T19:42:45","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T14:12:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=47267"},"modified":"2025-07-09T19:26:49","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T13:56:49","slug":"rising-seas-shifting-lives-and-test-of-democratic-values","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/08-07-2025\/rising-seas-shifting-lives-and-test-of-democratic-values","title":{"rendered":"Rising Seas, Shifting Lives, and a Test of Democratic Values"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Environment; Climate Change<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As climate change accelerates sea-level rise, saltwater intrusion, and coastal erosion in India\u2019s coastline affecting its environment, socially and politically.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About India\u2019s Coastal Vulnerability<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s <strong>11,098.81 km<\/strong>-long coastline is a vital ecological, economic, and cultural asset.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>According to the <strong>National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR<\/strong>), nearly 34% of India\u2019s coastline is eroding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>District-level Climate Risk Assessment<\/strong> reveals that over 50 districts face \u2018very high\u2019 flood risk, while 91 districts are at \u2018very high\u2019 drought risk\u2014some facing both simultaneously.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Democratic Values Related To Climate-induced Displacement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Territorial Justice:<\/strong> It focuses on fair distribution of resources and protections across geographic regions.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It argues that states need to prioritize policies that offer urgent short-term improvements while enabling long-term justice for displaced populations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Deliberative Democracy:<\/strong> It emphasizes inclusive, participatory decision-making.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It supports grassroots movements and community-led planning as expressions of democratic agency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pluralist Theory of Climate Displacement:<\/strong> It rejects the idea of a one-size-fits-all \u2018climate refugee\u2019 status.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It recognizes the complexity and diversity of displacement contexts, and advocates for context-specific responses and burden-sharing across institutions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global Justice and Cosmopolitanism:<\/strong> It argues that wealthy nations bear responsibility for climate impacts due to historical emissions.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It supports international burden-sharing and rights-based frameworks for cross-border climate migrants, and calls for global cooperation and ethical migration policies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Human Rights-Based Approaches:<\/strong> It is grounded in constitutional and international law (e.g., <strong>Article 21<\/strong> of India\u2019s Constitution i.e. <strong>Right to Life).<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It demands recognition of climate migrants\u2019 rights to life, dignity, work, and housing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Environmental Democracy:<\/strong> It links ecological sustainability with democratic governance.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It advocates for transparency, accountability, and public participation in environmental decision-making, and supports movements resisting ecologically harmful development projects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Related Concerns&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Industrial Projects and Ecological Erosion: <\/strong>The Sagarmala port programme, commercial aquaculture, and energy projects have intensified coastal degradation.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Natural protective barriers \u2014 mangroves, dunes, wetlands \u2014 are systematically cleared, worsening climate vulnerabilities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Environmental clearances often ignore cumulative climate risks, further endangering communities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Urban Migration and Labour Exploitation: <\/strong>Displaced populations often end up as informal workers in cities like <strong>Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Mumbai \u2014 <\/strong>taking up construction, brick kiln, and domestic work. It is added with systemic exploitations like:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Debt bondage<\/strong>: Families locked into unfair wage advances<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Legal exclusion<\/strong>: Minimal protection under India\u2019s labour laws<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gendered risks<\/strong>: Women domestic workers face abuse, underpayment, and trafficking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Democratic Values Under Pressure: <\/strong>Movements like Save Satabhaya (Odisha), Pattuvam Mangrove Protection (Kerala), and protests against Ennore port expansion reflect community resilience.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Environmental defenders face surveillance, intimidation, and criminalization\u2014undermining constitutional rights to protest and association.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Coastal Communities in Crisis: <\/strong>In Odisha\u2019s Satabhaya, entire villages have been submerged, leaving residents in resettlement colonies with few means of sustenance.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Patterns of ecological and social displacement mirror across Karnataka\u2019s Honnavar taluk, Tamil Nadu\u2019s Nagapattinam, Gujarat\u2019s Kutch, and flood-prone regions in Kerala.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Legal and Policy Gaps<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>No dedicated law:<\/strong> India lacks a legal framework to address climate-induced migration.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Existing laws like the <strong>Disaster Management Act (2005)<\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/environment-protection-act-1986\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/environment-protection-act-1986\/\">Environment Protection Act (1986)<\/a><\/strong> focus on disaster response, not long-term displacement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>CRZ Notification 2019:<\/strong> Criticized for favoring industrial and tourism development over community rights, leading to further marginalization of coastal populations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Labour protections:<\/strong> India\u2019s Labour Codes do not extend specific safeguards to climate migrants, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Legal Precedents, Unrealised Protections: <\/strong>Supreme Court judgments in 1987 and 1996 affirmed the <strong>link between environment and human rights.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>However, these principles remain poorly translated into community-centric protections.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Government Initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes):<\/strong> It aims to restore 540 sq km of mangroves across coastal states and UTs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Coastal Flood Warning Systems:<\/strong> Developed for vulnerable cities like Chennai and Mumbai.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI):<\/strong> Maps high-risk zones using satellite and GIS data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Legal Recognition<\/strong>: Acknowledge <strong>climate migrants<\/strong> in migration and urban planning frameworks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Labour Protections<\/strong>: Extend <strong>India\u2019s labour codes<\/strong> to informal and climate-displaced workers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sustainable Coastal Management<\/strong>: Reinstate ecological buffers and prioritise community rights.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Participatory Resettlement<\/strong>: Ensure displacement and rehabilitation are carried out with community consent and long-term support.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India\u2019s commitment to<strong> UN\u2019s SDG 8.7 <\/strong>\u2014 eliminating forced labour and ensuring decent work \u2014 hinges on addressing the vulnerabilities created by climate displacement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong> In the context of climate-induced displacement along India&#8217;s coasts, how do rising sea levels challenge the foundational principles of democracy such as justice, inclusivity, and participatory governance?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/rising-seas-shifting-lives-and-a-test-of-democratic-values\/article69784425.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/UPSC-Editorial-Analysis-8-July-2025.PDF.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As climate change accelerates sea-level rise, saltwater intrusion, and coastal erosion in India\u2019s coastline affecting its environment, socially and politically.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47267"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47449,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47267\/revisions\/47449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}