Dalit people are a highly vulnerable group, especially with regard to climate change, given both their high dependence on natural resources, and social, political, and economic exclusion inhibiting their adaptive capacity. This exploratory study on the impact of climate change on the lives and livelihoods of Dalits in India has been conducted by the National Dalit Watch of the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, in collaboration with the Society for Promotion of Wastelands Development. It seeks to examine the issue through the lens of disaster risk reduction, investigating whether there is an imposition of hierarchies of caste in the event of climate-related disasters. The report begins with an introduction to Dalit environmentalism, before explaining the background of the study and the likely impacts of climate change on both agriculture and disasters. The institutional set-up of disaster management and climate change adaptation is then discussed, culminating in a case for their convergence and the necessity of including Dalits. Finally, two case studies are examined in-depth: flooding in Assam, and the Dalit livelihood system in Karnataka. The report closes with specific recommendations, including: National and state governments should accept the Hyogo Framework of Action, develop policies aimed at reducing disaster risk among vulnerable groups, and recognise and address their exclusion.
State agencies should deal directly with Dalits and vulnerable groups, avoiding powerful and potentially discriminating interest groups.
Disaster risk reduction and social auditing should include civil society groups with a track record of working with Dalits, with spending made transparent and accessible to the community.
The state must ensure the participation of Dalits in institutional decision-making related to climate change and disaster risk reduction.
Effort is required to compile and make public disparate data in a disaggregated format.
Mechanisms are needed to reach out to Dalits and other vulnerable groups in the event of a disaster.
More in-depth research is required on climate-related impacts on the Dalit livelihood systems in order to more effectively plan adaptation and mitigation measures.