“There can be no solution without a roadmap for climate justice and no climate justice without human rights,” says Marta Schaaf, Programme Director for Climate, Economic Social Justice and Corporate Accountability at Amnesty International.
Climate change and the extreme weather events caused by it are a genuine and ever-increasing crisis in India. The annual “State of Extreme Weather” report titled Climate India 2024: An Assessment of Extreme Weather Events published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based think-tank, in collaboration with Down To Earth, reveals some concerning findings about the magnitude of the climate change crisis in India and its impact.
The State of Extreme Weather report includes an analysis of seven extreme weather events: Cold waves and cold days, cloudbursts, cyclones and snowfall, heavy rains, heatwaves, floods and landslides, and lightning and storms, and shows concerning results as the country faced these events on 93 per cent days of the nine months! Out of the 274 days, the country faced intense weather events on 255 days, resulting in the loss of 3,238 human lives, 3.2 million hectares of crops, 9,457 livestock, and 2,35,862 houses and other infrastructure.
The data also shows an 18 per cent increase in human life losses and a 74 per cent increase in crop damage due to the climate change crisis over three years. However, the data still does not adequately show the damaging impact of climate change on agriculture as there was a lack of data from states such as Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, which contribute highly to agriculture.
According to Kiran Pandey, the Programme Director of the CSE’s environmental resources team, “Twenty-seven states and Union territories saw a rise in extreme weather days in 2024, with Karnataka, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh each experiencing 40 or more additional days of such events.” Out of all the states that were studied as a part of the research, the states of Central India, especially Madhya Pradesh have been impacted the most. The state experienced 176 days of extreme weather events which makes it the state accounting for a loss of 353 human lives while suffering a significant loss of cropland and maximum infrastructural damage. In addition, the states of Kerala and Assam witnessed the most number of human fatalities and the agricultural land and infrastructure of the states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh were also affected the most.
Despite the concerning data provided in the State of Extreme Weather report, the country has not been taking the crisis of climate change seriously while seriously undermining its impact on the marginalised. According to Rajit Sengupta, the Associate Editor of Down To Earth, “While heatwaves claimed 210 lives, the data does not reflect the extended health impacts of prolonged high temperatures on the wellbeing of people in North India, including farmers and labourers, who endured intense heat with little means of relief.” The statement sheds light on how the Government has failed to provide measures of relief to the marginalised communities of the country while seriously undermining how the climate change crisis impacts them more as compared to how it affects the elite.
Climate change crisis and its impact on marginalised communities
The climate change crisis impacts the marginalised communities the most as they lack the resources required to escape the vicious loop of loss and damage caused due to extreme weather events. The marginalised groups such as Indigenous and caste-based communities are more prone to the impact of climate change crisis as they depend upon natural resources for their livelihood and end up coming to the forefront of environmental degradation as well as land dispossession while being excluded from government policies and structures.
As per a study conducted by the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organisation, when compared to the households led by men, the female-headed households in rural areas of the country suffer an increased average loss of 8 per cent of their income due to the double or twin crisis of humidity and heat stress. Due to limited resources and various socio-economic reasons such as having restricted access to education, minimal qualifications and possession of skills, and financial constraints, women are not able to exercise their autonomy.
In addition, the gender roles dictated by society also limit the majority of the women in rural areas to the unorganised sector of agriculture where they engage in labour-intensive tasks such as spending a significant amount of the day in forests to gathering raw material, catering to livestock, sowing and harvesting crops, and even construction work.
As per the India Meteorological Department, India saw its second-highest minimum temperature in 123 years in February. Extreme weather conditions such as cold waves, heatwaves, and heavy rains worsen the working conditions of these women by causing water scarcity and crop failures which further reduce their income, making them, especially men, migrate and move to different urban cities in search of more work. The migration of men places an increased workload on the women as they suffer from the double burden of domestic chores and economic responsibility.
Most importantly, the climate change crisis also increases the medical risks as they are forced to work more time in the agricultural field and are exposed to chemicals in the form of pesticides and insecticides which harm their health by causing severe and long-term medical conditions such as respiratory and gastrointestinal problems, disruption of endocrine leading to reproductive health problems, neurological and mental health problems, and increasing the risk of developing cancer by weakening their immune system.
While February saw the coldest temperatures, October was the warmest since 1901 with a recorded temperature of 26.92 degrees Celsius. As the IMD has also forecasted, “November this year will be warm with no hint of winter,” indicates that the frequency of extreme weather events in India will increase much more significantly, causing a drastic shift in the weather patterns, further marginalising the already-marginalised.
Central India faced the highest number of extreme weather events but the State of Extreme Weather report also makes it evident that the North-Eastern states are prone to extreme weather events such as heavy rains, floods, and landslides as Assam witnessed heavy rains, floods, and landslides on 122 days of the nine months. Despite the alarming data and floods ravaging the state every year, the state does not include any specific policy or concrete plan of action to deal with the flooding crisis.
India’s plan of action to combat the climate change crisis
“These record-breaking statistics reflect climate change’s impact, where events that used to occur once every century are now happening every five years or even less,” says Sunita Narain, the Director General of CSE. The State of Extreme Weather report by CSE highlights the need for a shift in the already existing climate action plans and policies which consist of two elements: Mitigation and adaptation, there is more focus on the former compared to the latter. The CSE report suggests that a change in approach is required as there is a need to focus more on reducing risks and building resilience rather than on how to respond to any calamity as the frequency of extreme weather events is bound to increase.
However, India still does not seem to take the crisis of climate change seriously as Prime Minister Modi’s decision not to attend the World Leader’s Climate Action Summit at COP29 reflects that the Government lacks seriousness towards combating the climate change crisis and acknowledging how it impacts the marginalised who are already not a part of the prime governance structure.
