Everest’s South Base Camp, located on the Nepalese side of the highest mountain in the world, has served as the starting point for climbers for 70 years.
Sadly, this historical landmark is due to be abandoned in years to come, as the result of safety concerns stemming from the effects of global warming. The current settlement is established on a glacier located at the foot of a 300 meter-high icefall, and the accelerated glacial melting is exacerbating the risks experienced during mountaineering expeditions. For example, climbers have been reporting an increasing number of crevasses appearing around their tents. As a result, it has been decided that Base Camp will be relocated at a lower altitude.
This phenomenon is aggravated by the climbers themselves. The surge in human activity since the boom of commercial climbing in the 1990s (rising from an average of 180 summits per year in the 1980s to 5,561 in the 2010s) is further threatening the mountain’s fragile ecosystem. On a typical day at Base Camp, an average of 4000 litres of urine are produced, in addition to large amounts of kerosene and gas being burned for cooking and heating.
Therefore, the continued commercial exploitation of Mount Everest has ethical implications. On the one hand, it contributes to environmental destruction – which, in the long run, might undermine residents’ livelihoods. But on the other hand, the local economy has become highly dependent on the tourism industry – as shown by the crisis following the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. This type of dilemma illustrates the complex overlapping of natural phenomena and human activity, and the urgent need to reconcile them in the light of the global climate emergency.
The ongoing European heatwave has brought about many tragedies. Among them, the media’s attention has been focusing on wildfires, which have already destroyed tens of thousands of hectares of land – three times the average for this time of year. Such events do not only negatively impact biodiversity and the economies that rely on it; they also pose a direct threat to human life.
When disasters such as this occur in the Global South, it is customary for Western governments and companies to dismiss the dangers of climate change. But today, extreme weather events are multiplying before their eyes. Could this finally be the wake-up call Western leaders needed to take actionable steps and save our planet from extinction?
At COP26, India’s Prime Minister Modi announced the country’s commitment to become a net-zero carbon emitter by 2070. Alongside this, the adoption of the country’s 2022 Green Hydrogen Policy also displays further dedication to achieve this ambitious plan – including supplying up to 50% of the nation’s total energy through renewable sources by 2030.
However, despite the government’s claims of environmental action, India had become the world’s third-largest emitter of carbon dioxide by 2020 (with China and the US respectively ranked first and second).
This is especially concerning given the questions surrounding India’s capability to adapt to climate change. Several Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Reports have concluded that countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are some of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. In recent years, India has experienced an increase in environmental disasters – such as cyclones, glacier melts, heat waves, floods, and more. In March 2022, the country recorded its hottest temperatures in 122 years. Some two months later, temperatures in several of India’s states had reached a new high of 49ºC (120ºF).
The Impact of Extreme Weather
The recent increase in heatwaves has already had a severe impact on the country’s economy and healthcare system, as well as its agricultural industry. In May 2022, some of the most affected areas of the country saw wheat yields drop by up to 50% – worsening the fears over a global wheat shortage related to the Russian government’s invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022.
What’s more, agricultural workers in the country are also facing a number of challenges. As a result of climate change, summer months are beginning earlier in the year, which can disrupt crop cycles and harvest seasons. Sporadic and prolonged summers months are also making it more difficult to predict monsoon seasons, meaning India’s farmers need to find new ways to adapt to more erratic weather patterns – or migrate to areas with more suitable growing conditions.
Farmers are not the only group of people who are affected by the earlier onset of summer. As a result of higher temperatures, an unprecedented demand for electricity (alongside a coal shortage) has led the entire population to face one of its worst electricity crises in decades. Some states such as Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Punjab are experiencing load shedding for up to eight hours per day – worsening the food crisis as many people are left unable to store refrigerated goods at home.
Rainfall levels are also becoming more unpredictable in India. For instance, the northeastern state of Assam has experienced significantly high levels of pre-monsoon rainfall, which have led to state-wide flooding. Moreover, this extreme weather caused one of the country’s major rivers, the Brahmaputra, to overflow – affecting around 500,000 people across 1,500 villages. And while India’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is providing aid and support to the affected people, the sudden influx of migration to surrounding cities has undoubtedly added pressure to local administrations which we already struggling to meet demand.
But flash floods are not an uncommon phenomenon in the state of Assam. According to statistics from the Government of Assam’s Water Resources department, the region experiences three to four floods per year. Not only do these floods displace millions of people annually, they also cause extensive environmental degradation such as coastal erosion. However, despite how concerning these natural disasters are, local governments have failed to implement effective climate adaptation plans that can predict upcoming floods.
Climate Mitigation in India
In order for India to deal with these ever-worsening problems, climate mitigation strategies are essential, but the government also needs to grant equal focus to adaptation techniques. Studies indicate that it can take decades to achieve positive results from implementing climate mitigation strategies. In fact, one of the key findings of the IPCC’s sixth Assessment Report (AR6) was that between 2010 and 2019, the highest-ever levels of global greenhouse gas emissions were recorded – despite multiple international efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change since the 1990s.
This is especially concerning for India. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported that since 1986, the Indian subcontinent has been facing an increasing number of heatwaves. What’s more, it predicts that the intensity, duration, and frequency of these heatwaves will significantly increase in the coming years.
So how is the Indian government working to mitigate and adapt to these rapidly changing climates – if at all? In 2015, India launched its National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) with a budget allocation of 3.5 billion rupees (350 crores, or around US $44 million). However, research from The Indian Express found that since 2017, the grants released from the NAFCC have been steadily declining. Between 2017 and 2018, the government spent around 115 crores (around US $14.5 million), whereas between 2021 and 2022, only 27.8 crores (around US $350,000) were used to fund climate adaptation strategies.
However, a significant proportion of the country’s population still remains vulnerable to the impact of climate change – particularly those who live in slum areas, as well as agricultural workers. It’s evident that death rates attributed to the effects of extreme heatwaves are still increasing. This is largely because of economic vulnerability, as day laborers and slum populations are forcibly more exposed to excessive heat levels for prolonged periods of time.
A Move Towards Mitigation
Models can be used to predict the early onset of heatwaves, including tools developed by the WMO and the India Meteorological Department (IMD). But the government still has an obligation to develop and implement more short and long-term solutions that not only protect people from climate-related health hazards, but also provide solutions that help to safeguard the livelihoods of more vulnerable communities. Moreover, these solutions should be implemented alongside community rehabilitation programs, widespread health and safety awareness campaigns, and localized economic programs across the country.
India has a varied climate; while the north faces extreme heatwaves, the northeast of the country is experiencing flash floods. These differences only serve to strengthen the case that the government needs to develop localized programs to mitigate and adapt to region-specific climate disasters.
Undoubtedly, climate mitigation is important, but it is certainly not sufficient for such a climate-diverse country like India. Findings from several IPCC reports have proven that to successfully handle issues related to climate change, both mitigation and adaptation strategies need to be implemented together. India has already heavily invested in climate mitigation, but it is now time for the country’s government to do the same with climate adaptation.
Skand Agarwal currently studies Transnational Governance, with a specialisation in climate change and environment, at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy.
Born in India, Skand has experience working with military think tanks, media houses, and in environmental activism, through which he aims to contribute to South Asia’s climate adaptability and resilience, while also advocating for the much-ignored rights of climate migrants. Skand also contributes to Earth Refuge’s Faces podcast series.
As a correspondent for Earth Refuge, Polly Nash hopes to raise awareness about climate migration and give a voice to climate migrants and first responders around the world. Polly is a writer and journalist, completing her master’s degree in International Journalism at City, University of London.
Recently finishing an editorial internship at an online news and culture magazine in East London, Polly hopes to pursue a career in print journalism, with a particular focus on social issues and humanitarian reporting.
Polly completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Edinburgh, and studied abroad at UC Santa Barbara. Her love of travel has further convinced her of the vital need for a unified global response to tackle climate change and migration.
Samantha Chinyoka is a Renewable Energy Engineer currently working as the Projects Director for a green energy company in Zimbabwe. She holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Renewable Energy Systems from the University of Leeds, U.K.
Samantha is passionate about addressing equity and climate change through renewable-based energy transitions. She also has a keen interest in climate and energy policymaking, particularly in the role it plays in supporting low-carbon economic growth. At present, she is a member of the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition and youth climate action groups, the YOUNGO@UNFCCC and the UN-MGCY SDG7 Youth Constituency.
When Samantha is not working, you’ll find her volunteering for charity. She particularly enjoys mentoring young people living in institutionalised homes, helping them realise their potential, to raise their aspiration levels, and prepare them for life after the institution.
Fun fact: She has a thing for good, quality chocolate.
Tasmin Grant is an editor for Earth Refuge and manages the Archive: a collection of submissions that encapsulate the realities of climate migration.
She is also the Managing Editor for one of the largest global digital coffee publications, alongside studying at the London School of Journalism.
Tasmin has been working in the coffee industry for over 6 years, so while the world of climate justice is still relatively new to her, she hopes to utilise her editing skills to assist Earth Refuge with its mission of advocating for the rights of climate migrants.
When she’s not working, Tasmin enjoys discovering new music, cooking delicious vegan food, exploring London, and spending time with her beloved wife.
Nikoleta sees over all teams as part of the strategic & organisational leadership at Earth Refuge. She sets long-term priorities and monitors their execution, while also assisting project management across departments. Having a strong international law background, Nikoleta firmly believes in the power of contemporary legal solutions and is excited about Earth Refuge’s tangible impact.
Apart from Earth Refuge, Nikoleta works in the legal team of a global climate leadership network. She cares about making law & policy digestible and pursued this as lecturer for the European Commission and president of a diplomacy NGO. Currently, she is leading the International Institute of Space Law’s latest initiative, the Knowledge Constellation, making space law accessible for all.
Nikoleta holds an MA in Human Rights from UCL, where she was recognised in the Dean’s List for Academic Excellence. She is passionate about gender equality and appreciates great films, lyrics, fashion, and chocolate.
Alongside executive duties, Yumna spearheads our Legal Advocacy project –– conducting legal research for live cases featuring elements of climate migration and raising the international legal community’s awareness for the issue –– all of which sets the foundation for Earth Refuge’s future social impact litigation.
Yumna is also the Legal Education Officer at Right to Remain, where she works on resources about the UK asylum and immigration system, including the Right to Remain Toolkit. She delivers legal workshops and collaborates with asylum and migrant groups across the country.
She was called to the Bar of England & Wales in 2020 and obtained a Public Interest LLM fellowship from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Outside of work, Yumna (really) loves to eat, create, and talk about food. If she weren’t in the legal field, she’d be a chef.
Lauren Grant holds an MA in Human Rights from the Legal Studies Department of Central European University and an International Human Rights Defender Certificate from the Foundations of Human Rights Protection in Constitutional and International Law postgraduate specialisation programme. She is a graduate of the Zoryan Institute’s Genocide and Human Rights University Program, and is currently pursuing an MSc in Violence, Conflict, and Development at SOAS University of London.
At Earth Refuge and beyond, Lauren’s research and advocacy spans the fields of climate-induced displacement, women’s, Indigenous and minority rights, violence, conflict, genocide, and development. In 2022, she founded the world’s first International School on Climate Migration, a five-week long summer school co-hosted by Earth Refuge and the SOAS Department of Development Studies.
In her free time, Lauren enjoys reading, diving into deep and explorative discussion over a cup of coffee, and soaking up the sunshine with her adored wife.
Adrian Yeung is a public policy professional based in Melbourne, Australia, and a University of Melbourne graduate with specialisations in political science, international business, and media & communications. He hopes to bring his professional experience in government, marketing, and consulting to help Earth Refuge generate awareness and build a movement around the critical issue of climate migration.  Outside of work, Adrian is the producer of The Story Symphony, a collaborative audio drama podcast with each chapter of the story written by an entirely different person – meaning that neither the audience nor the writers know what’s going to happen next. He also dabbles in music production, freelance writing, career mentoring, and even had a brief stint acting on community television.
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