Volume V Special Issue VI December 2025

Name of Author : Diya Susan Baby

Title of the paper : Displacement, Mobility and Care: Policy Lessons From Keralas Climate Shocks

Abstract: Kerala has faced recurrent climate shocks, from intense floods to cyclones and coastal erosion that triggered large scale displacement and mobility. Keralas development achievements mask acute vulnerability to climateinduced disasters. Recent extreme events notably the 2018 and 2019 floods, and the July 2024 Wayanad landslides displaced millions and highlighted gaps in social protection. Climate stressors drive mobility temporary or permanent and strain household care arrangements. Keralas strong disaster management framework e.g. State Disaster Mitigation Fund, local committees enabled rapid relief and recovery. This paper integrates secondary data from Kerala government sources, KSDMA, Migration Surveys, Census, NSS, RBI, ILO, UNDRR, etc. to examine how climate shocks trigger displacement and mobility, and how these intersect with Keralas care economy especially the gendered burden of unpaid care. An inclusive reconstruction plan Nava Keralam after 2018 floods involved communities women, children, migrants and prioritized green rebuilding. But policy gaps remain relocation efforts like the Punargeham housing project are treated as relief rather than climate adaptation, and Keralas Climate Action Plan SAPCC 2.0 acknowledges migration without linking it to specific adaptation policies. The paper also explores how such shocks affect Keralas care economy many households are female headed 28% in recent surveys or have migrant workers abroad, so disasters often leave women and elders bearing extra burdens. This paper examines Keralas experience with climate induced displacement over recent decades, focusing on policy responses and the impacts on the care economy unpaidhealthelderchild care tasks. On the basis of secondary data and Kerala specific studies, this paper draws significant policy lessons like integrating climate migration into planning, targeting assistance to vulnerable caregivers, building resilient infrastructure and social services, and mainstreaming of gendercare considerations in disaster response. These lessons on displacement and care have broader relevance for climate migration policy in India and beyond.

Keywords : Climate shocks, displacement, migration, gender, care economy.

DOI :

Page Number : 77-84