India wants COP30 to focus on climate adaptation, but dries up own fund – Al Jazeera

Report on Climate-Induced Internal Displacement in India and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Introduction: The Growing Crisis of Climate Displacement

Climate-related disasters are causing a significant internal displacement crisis in India, undermining national progress towards key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Recent events, such as the September 2 landslide in Sarh village, Indian-administered Kashmir, exemplify the devastating human and economic costs. This incident, which destroyed approximately 20 homes and vast areas of farmland, highlights the vulnerability of communities to extreme weather events. The increasing frequency of such disasters poses a direct threat to the achievement of SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action), displacing millions and erasing decades of development gains.

2.0 Scale of Internal Displacement and Socio-Economic Impacts

The scale of climate-induced displacement in India is reaching critical levels, directly impacting several SDGs related to human well-being and economic stability.

2.1 Displacement Statistics

• According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), over 32 million people were displaced by climate-related disasters in India between 2015 and 2024.
• In 2024 alone, 5.4 million displacements were recorded, the highest figure in 12 years.
• In the first half of 2025, natural disasters displaced over 160,000 people due to above-average rainfall, floods, and landslides.

2.2 Impact on Sustainable Livelihoods and Poverty (SDG 1 & SDG 8)

The loss of homes, land, and livelihoods due to climate events is a primary driver of poverty and economic instability, directly contravening SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). Case studies from across the nation illustrate this trend:

1. Shabir Ahmad, Kashmir: Lost his home and life savings, built since 2016, to a landslide, leaving his family without shelter or assets.
2. Ramesh Behera, Odisha: Rising sea levels destroyed his home and fields, forcing him to abandon his traditional livelihood of fishing and farming for manual labour.
3. Revathi Selvam, Tamil Nadu: Saltwater intrusion has rendered farmland infertile, collapsing paddy harvests and threatening the agricultural livelihoods of her community.
4. Arjun Thakur, Himachal Pradesh: A cloudburst destroyed the tourist lodge where he worked, eliminating his source of income and forcing him to relocate.

These events demonstrate a pattern of climate-induced distress migration, pushing vulnerable populations into precarious employment and deeper poverty.

3.0 National Climate Adaptation Policy and Institutional Gaps

An analysis of India’s national climate adaptation framework reveals a significant disconnect between international commitments and domestic policy implementation, jeopardizing the nation’s capacity to meet SDG 13 (Climate Action).

3.1 The National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change (NAFCC)

The NAFCC was established in 2015 to finance projects aimed at building community resilience against climate-related stresses, a key component of achieving SDG 13.1 (Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity). However, government records indicate a systematic defunding of this critical initiative:

• Initial annual allocations averaged $13.3 million.
• Spending dropped to $2.47 million in the 2022-2023 financial year.
• Since the 2023-2024 financial year, zero funds have been allocated to the NAFCC.

3.2 Contradiction with International Stance

This domestic policy failure stands in stark contrast to India’s public statements at international forums like COP30, where officials have called for increased global public finance for adaptation. This discrepancy undermines the principles of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) by weakening the effectiveness and accountability of national institutions tasked with protecting citizens from climate impacts.

4.0 Systemic Drivers and Future Projections

The displacement crisis is exacerbated by systemic issues that conflict with goals for sustainable land use and reduced inequality.

4.1 Environmental Degradation and Unplanned Development (SDG 15)

Experts note that the impact of natural disasters is amplified by human factors, including haphazard construction and rampant deforestation, particularly in ecologically sensitive regions like the Himalayas. This unchecked development degrades natural ecosystems, undermining SDG 15 (Life on Land) and increasing the vulnerability of local communities to landslides and flash floods.

4.2 Projected Migration and Inequality (SDG 10)

The failure to implement adaptation measures disproportionately affects the poorest and most vulnerable populations, deepening existing inequalities in contravention of SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). The Climate Action Network South Asia projects that approximately 45 million people in India could be forced to migrate by 2050 due to the climate crisis. Without robust adaptation strategies and institutional support, India faces the risk of the world’s largest climate migration crisis, creating a generation of internal refugees and further straining resources in urban centers.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • The article directly links climate disasters to increased poverty. It describes how individuals like Shabir Ahmad lost their “life’s work” and homes, leaving them with “not even one inch of land left to stand on.” The story of Sunita Devi in Bihar, “India’s poorest state,” who has been displaced five times and relies on a government ration card for survival, highlights the cycle of poverty exacerbated by climate events.
2. SDG 2: Zero Hunger
   • The article discusses the impact of climate change on food security. It mentions the loss of farmlands and how saltwater intrusion in Tamil Nadu has “poisoned” farmland, causing paddy harvests to collapse. Ramesh Behera in Odisha was forced to give up farming and fishing, his family’s traditional livelihoods, due to rising sea levels, directly impacting food sources and income.
3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • The loss of livelihoods is a central theme. The article details how a fisherman (Ramesh Behera), a hotel worker (Arjun Thakur), and farmers (Revathi Selvam) lost their means of income due to climate disasters. This forces them into “distress migration” to find work as manual labourers, which is often precarious and insecure.
4. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The article emphasizes that the impacts of climate change disproportionately affect the most vulnerable. It quotes an Indian government statement acknowledging that “vulnerable people in developing countries who have contributed the least to global warming but stand to suffer the most from its impacts.” The failure to fund the National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change (NAFCC) leaves these marginalized communities to “rebuild on their own, again and again,” widening the inequality gap.
5. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • The core issue discussed is the loss of safe housing and the displacement of communities. The article describes entire villages being destroyed by landslides and floods, with nearly 20 houses lost in Sarh village alone. It highlights the vulnerability of human settlements to climate disasters and the failure to build “climate-resilient infrastructure,” a stated goal of the now-defunded NAFCC.
6. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • This is the primary SDG addressed. The article focuses on the urgent need for climate adaptation measures to cope with floods, droughts, and landslides. It critically examines India’s commitment to climate action by highlighting the contradiction between its international statements calling for adaptation finance and its domestic action of cutting funding for the NAFCC to “zero money.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 1.5: By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters.
   • The article directly relates to this target by describing the failure of the NAFCC, a fund specifically created to help “vulnerable communities adapt before disasters struck” and build resilience. The stories of displaced families left to fend for themselves show a lack of progress towards this target.
2. Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.
   • The article provides data on the number of people affected (“more than 32 million people from their homes in India between 2015 and 2024”), deaths (“killed dozens”), and economic losses (“properties worth millions of rupees vanish”), all of which are key components of this target.
3. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
   • This target is central to the article’s critique. The discontinuation of funding for the NAFCC, which was designed to finance projects that “help communities cope with floods, droughts, landslides, and other climate-related stresses,” demonstrates a direct failure to strengthen adaptive capacity for vulnerable populations in India.
4. Target 13.b: Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities.
   • The article highlights the halt of a key national mechanism (the NAFCC) intended for this purpose. The activist’s comment that “the government has left them entirely to their fate” underscores the lack of support for marginalized communities in climate change planning and management.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Number of people affected by disasters: The article provides specific figures that can be used as indicators.
   • “more than 32 million people from their homes in India between 2015 and 2024”
   • “5.4 million displacements recorded in 2024 alone”
   • “more than 160,000 people were displaced across India due to natural disasters” in the first six months of 2025.
   • An estimate that “roughly 45 million people in India could be forced to migrate by 2050.”
2. Number of deaths attributed to disasters: The article mentions that floods in Bihar “killed dozens” and that “widespread climatic devastation continued to kill and displace people,” implying this is a measurable indicator.
3. Direct economic loss attributed to disasters: While not providing a total figure, the article points to this indicator by mentioning the loss of “properties worth millions of rupees” and the destruction of homes, farmlands, and businesses.
4. National financial resources for climate change adaptation: The article provides precise financial data for the NAFCC, which serves as a direct indicator of government commitment to adaptation.
   • Initial average annual funding: “$13.3m”
   • Spending in 2022-2023: “$2.47m”
   • Funding since 2023-2024: “zero money”

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: aljazeera.com