Dear Reader,

The impact of climate change in India is chilling. In the last 15 years alone, a staggering 56 million and more Indians have been displaced from their homes as an after-effect of climate change—floods, erosion and landslides. Even more concerning is that the World Bank estimates that more than 80% of Indians live in districts that are at risk of climate-induced disasters with at least 3.6 million citizens being displaced annually since 2021.

In a multi-sourced report from three states—Assam, Himachal Pradesh and Odisha—Article 14 looks at the acute challenges that climate change poses to India and why the only law that confronts these issues, the Disaster Management Act, 2005, has “largely failed”. The story tells you how, on all fronts—prevention, preparedness and mitigation—legislation has not been backed by implementation on the ground and, in most cases, has left the displaced high and dry.

The criticality of the state’s ability to intervene on behalf of the climate refugees is further underlined by a report by the International Journal of Environment and Climate Change, which found that 102 districts across Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and southern Uttar Pradesh, constituting one-third of central India, were ill-equipped to handle climate change. In districts of MP—including Bhopal, Damoh, Guna, Jhabua, Panna, Ratlam, and Sidhi—climate weirding has become the norm.

More worryingly, the districts that face the maximum impact of climate change are also the ones with the lowest resilience in recovering from it. The abysmal penetration of irrigation, crop insurance and transport infrastructure has left farmers at the mercy of shifting climate patterns with few enabling or mitigation structures to turn to. Ground Report examines another instance of the state’s failure to build effective climate-resilient models.

June 15 is marked as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day since the UN’s designation in 2011. The day aims to raise global awareness about the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older people. By 2050, it is estimated that 20 per cent of India, or one in five, will be elderly. In Kerala, according to the National Statistical Office data for 2021, 16 to 20 per cent of Kerala’s population are already above 60, as against the national average of 10–12 per cent.

Keraleeyam Masika finds that the abuse of the elderly goes beyond the physical and looks at the psychological, financial and societal aspects, all of which go towards making a society where the elderly live with dignity, safety, and are cared for.

In an intriguing and unusual narrative, The Migration Story steps into the kitchens of migrants in Bengaluru from northern and eastern India, and the northern districts of Karnataka. The story finds that migrant cuisine is a trade-off between tradition, ingredient availability, and affordability. It reports on how disparities in access to the ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ scheme—which is meant to ensure uninterrupted access to subsidised food across state borders—significantly influence migrants’ food choices. The story brings us a fascinating glimpse into the migrants’ lives through understanding why they eat what they eat.

For more such stories from the grantees this week, please read on.

Warmly,

Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF