Environmental
Disaster and Human Mobility: A Study of Disaster-Induced Migration in India
Kumar Vineet, Singh Harpreet, Meena Avadhesh Kumar, Sharma Sanjana and Roychowdhury
Ratul
Disaster Advances; Vol. 18(9); 22-30;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/189da022030; (2025)
Abstract
Population displacement is a natural response to climatic shocks, particularly when
people's livelihoods are devastated. Natural disasters act as significant catalysts
for global human migration, compelling millions of individuals to relocate. The
1991 census data in India is the sole available dataset that incorporates natural
disasters as a reason for migration. A comprehensive analysis of this data reveals
that migration within rural areas represents the most substantial migration stream
while migration from urban to rural areas is the least significant. Notably, a greater
number of males reported natural disasters as the primary cause for their migration.
Among all Indian States, Uttar Pradesh ranks first in terms of migrants reporting
natural disasters as the main cause for migration within urban-rural and urban-urban
migration streams. On the other side, Bihar and Tamil Nadu occupy the top positions
in rural-urban and rural-rural migration streams respectively. The objective of
this study is to present a detailed examination of male and female migration patterns
in India resulting from natural disasters, categorized by different migration streams.
