Question : Climate Refugees

(a) whether the Government has noticed a direct link between increasing human displacement and climate change which is forcibly displacing people as climate refugees and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether ‘Climate Refugees’ are not getting the public health care facilities as the term is still not defined in international laws and if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the steps taken/ to be taken by the Government to adopt a hybrid method approach developed from ‘Policy Oriented Jurisprudence’ for the protection of ‘Climate Refugees’ in view of the large scale displacement due to climate change?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) to (c) 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 modelling 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 address 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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