Lok Sabha Question No. 2944 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-07
Subject: Climate Induced Migration
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Brijendra Singh, D. Ravikumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2944

TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.08.2023

## Climate Induced Migration

## 2944.   SHRI BRIJENDRA SINGH: SHRI RAVIKUMAR D.:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether the Government maintains any record of climate-induced refugees living in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the number of such refugees during the last five years;
- (c) whether the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) because of climate change has been increased during the last five years;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and measures adopted by the Government for their re-settlement;
- (e) the regions in which largest number of climate change induced migration has taken place in the country; and
- (f) whether the Government has any policy for protection of people impacted due to climate change induced migration and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) to (f) Migration/Displacement of affected people may be due to economic, social, political and other factors. It may be temporary or permanent, short term or long-term depending on the underlying  cause(s)  of  displacement.  According  to  the  Intergovernmental  Panel  on  Climate Change Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degree C (2018), the social, economic and environmental  factors  underlying  displacement  of  people  by  climate  change  are  complex  and varied; therefore, attributing it to the effect of observed climate change or assessing its possible magnitude with any degree of confidence is challenging.

There  is  no  established  study  for  India  providing  a  quantified  attribution  of  climate  change triggering displacement of people. While many  studies monitor extreme events in the environment,  the  science  of  attribution  of  these  changes  particularly  to  climate  change  is  far more complex and currently an evolving subject. Most studies so far have relied on mathematical modeling of climate change impacts.

Relief,  recovery,  and  rehabilitation  are  governed, inter  alia ,  by  the  relevant  provisions  of  the Disaster  Management  Act,  2005  and  the  guidelines,  directives,  and  orders  of  the  National Disaster Management Authority and the State Disaster Management Authorities. The constitutional, legal and administrative provisions relevant to disaster management and disaster risk reduction adequately addresses the management of disasters in the country.

The State Governments undertake relief measures in the wake of natural disasters from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) already placed at their disposal in accordance with the extant norms. Additional assistance is extended from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) as per established procedure. The assistance approved under SDRF/NDRF norms is provided in the form of relief.

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