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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
India saw over 32 million disaster displacements in a decade: IDMC report
Natural disasters such as floods and storms displaced 32.3 million people in India between 2015 and 2024, according to a report by the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). India ranks third globally after China and the Philippines in terms of internal displacements caused by natural hazards. The report highlights that disasters triggered 264.8 million internal displacements across 210 countries and territories over the past decade, with East and South Asian countries among the worst affected. China recorded 46.9 million displacements, followed closely by the Philippines with 46.1 million. 'At the country level, Bangladesh, China, India, the Philippines and the US recorded the highest figures over the past decade,' the report stated. Floods and storms behind 90% of global disaster displacement According to IDMC, 90 per cent of global disaster-related displacements between 2015 and 2024 were caused by floods and storms. Storms alone triggered 120.9 million displacements during this period, while floods were responsible for 114.8 million. Cyclones, including Cyclone Amphan in 2020, accounted for 92 per cent of all storm-related displacements worldwide. The report noted a rising trend in disaster-induced displacement, driven by more frequent and intense hazards, improved data collection at the national level, and enhanced global monitoring capacities. India recorded 5.4 million displacements in 2024 alone In 2024, a record 45.8 million internal displacements were reported globally—well above the decadal average of 26.5 million. India accounted for 5.4 million of these, marking the highest annual figure recorded in the country over the past 12 years. Many of these movements were preemptive evacuations, according to the report, reflecting the efforts of governments and local communities in disaster-prone areas to save lives and minimise injury. However, millions remain displaced for months or years after major floods, storms and other hazards. Vulnerable populations hit hardest The IDMC emphasised that disaster displacement disproportionately affects the most vulnerable populations. 'They are often forced to flee repeatedly and for longer periods of time, which heightens their pre-existing vulnerabilities and reinforces social inequalities,' the report stated. Climate conditions could displace 32 million annually The IDMC warned that, under current climate conditions, an annual average of 32 million people globally are likely to be displaced due to hazards such as riverine and coastal flooding, drought and cyclonic winds. That figure could double if global temperatures rise more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (1850–1890), the report cautioned. 'Left unaddressed, disaster displacement will be a major obstacle to the achievement of global goals, such as those set by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,' it concluded.
India Today
3 days ago
- Climate
- India Today
Why monsoons don't bring the same joy to Assam as the rest of India
Several deaths. Lakhs displaced. Over a thousand villages affected. Nearly 15,000 hectares of crops destroyed. This is the extent of the havoc being wreaked by floods in Assam right now. The impact has been this severe, and the monsoons are yet to reach their full might in the state. And this appears to be Assam's new 900 people have directly lost their lives to floods in Assam since 2019. In 2022 alone, the death toll was 278, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Who is to blame — the floods that are almost a recurring feature now, thanks to climate change, or the infrastructure that has outlived its reliability, which is now obviously vulnerable to extreme weather? Perhaps According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, 'Climate change, deforestation and erosion, and the lack of maintenance of dams and embankments were some of the main drivers of risk, a reminder of the need to continue strengthening disaster risk management to prevent future displacement.'Of more than 400 embankments built along the Brahmaputra and its tributaries since the 1950s, over half have outlived their intended lifespan, and a lack of resources to repair and maintain them means a growing number have been breached, a report by the international non-governmental organisation the government has stepped up, its efforts haven't shown any substantial impact. In August 2022, the Indian government applied for a loan from the World Bank for the Assam Integrated River Basin Management Programme Project. The objective of the project was to reduce the vulnerability of people to climate-related disasters and improve integrated water resources management in a letter dated 22 July 2024, the World Bank apprised that the money had been provided for the same project. The project is a three-phase programme with an overall financing of USD 625 Brahmaputra River and its tributaries are essential to the livelihoods of millions of people across Assam. But frequent floods cause lakhs of people to leave their homes for extended periods every year. Around 10 per cent of the state's population, or more than three million people, live on fertile islands known as chars, highly exposed to floods. About 40 per cent of the state's territory is susceptible to flooding, and its frequency and intensity have shifted in recent years, forcing an increasing number of people to move, sometimes repeatedly and for extended the Assam State Disaster Management Authority apprised that Brahmaputra (Neamatighat and Tezpur), Burhidihing (Chenimari), Kopili (Kampur and Dharamtul), Rukni (Dholai), Barak (Fulertal, AP Ghat, and BP Ghat), Dhaleswari (Gharmura), and Kushiyara (Sribhumi) rivers are flowing above danger levels, while Katakhal (Matizuri) is flowing above the highest flood Watch
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
India recorded over 3.2 crore disaster displacements in a decade: IDMC
NEW DELHI: IDMC India recorded 32.3 million (3.23 crore) internal displacements due to disasters, such as floods and storms, between 2015 and 2024, the third highest in the world after China and the Philippines, according to a new report. The report by the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) said disasters triggered 264.8 million internal displacements or forced movements across 210 countries and territories during this period. East and South Asia were the most affected regions. "At the country level, Bangladesh, China, India, the Philippines and the US recorded the highest figures over the past decade," the report said. China recorded 46.9 million internal displacements and the Philippines 46.1 million. The report said that nearly 90 per cent of global disaster displacements were the result of floods and storms. "Storms triggered most of the world's disaster displacements between 2015 and 2024, accounting for 120.9 million movements," it said. Floods triggered 114.8 million displacements during the same period. Cyclones, including Amphan in 2020, accounted for about 92 per cent of all storm displacements globally. The report said disasters have triggered an increasing number of internal displacements since 2015, the result in part of more frequent and intense hazards but also improved data at the national level and better monitoring capacity at the global level. In 2024 alone, 45.8 million internal displacements were recorded, the highest on record and far above the decadal average of 26.5 million.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
India recorded over 3.2 crore disaster displacements in a decade: IDMC
India recorded 32.3 million (3.23 crore) internal displacements due to disasters, such as floods and storms, between 2015 and 2024, the third highest in the world after China and the Philippines, according to a new report. The report by the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) said disasters triggered 264.8 million internal displacements or forced movements across 210 countries and territories during this period. East and South Asia were the most affected regions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like News For Jack Nicholson, 87, He Has Been Confirmed To Be... Reportingly Undo "At the country level, Bangladesh, China, India, the Philippines and the US recorded the highest figures over the past decade," the report said. China recorded 46.9 million internal displacements and the Philippines 46.1 million. Live Events The report said that nearly 90 per cent of global disaster displacements were the result of floods and storms. "Storms triggered most of the world's disaster displacements between 2015 and 2024, accounting for 120.9 million movements," it said. Floods triggered 114.8 million displacements during the same period. Cyclones, including Amphan in 2020, accounted for about 92 per cent of all storm displacements globally. The report said disasters have triggered an increasing number of internal displacements since 2015, the result in part of more frequent and intense hazards but also improved data at the national level and better monitoring capacity at the global level. In 2024 alone, 45.8 million internal displacements were recorded, the highest on record and far above the decadal average of 26.5 million. India recorded 5.4 million (54 lakh) displacements last year due to floods, storms and other disasters, the highest figure in 12 years. The report said many of the displacements were pre-emptive evacuations, testimony to the efforts of governments and local communities in disaster-prone countries to save lives and prevent injuries. However, "millions of people remain displaced for months or years after fleeing major storms, floods and other natural hazards". The IDMC emphasised that disaster displacement "affects the most vulnerable more severely". "They are often forced to flee repeatedly and for longer periods of time, which heightens their pre-existing vulnerabilities and reinforces social inequalities," it said. It warned that under current climate conditions, an annual average of 32 million people worldwide are likely to be displaced by riverine and coastal floods, drought and cyclonic winds in any given future year. That risk increases by 100 per cent if Earth's average temperature rises by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to the start of the industrial revolution (1850-1890), it said. The 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold is a target that countries agreed to at the Paris climate conference in 2015 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. "Left unaddressed, disaster displacement will be a major obstacle to the achievement of global goals, such as those set by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," the report said.
Euronews
15-05-2025
- Climate
- Euronews
Extreme weather behind 99.5% of disaster displacements last year
Cyclones, floods and other disasters forced people from their homes 45.8 million times last year, official figures show, nearly double the annual average over the past decade. Virtually all of these internal 'disaster displacements' were due to extreme weather events, which are being turbocharged by climate change. That's according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC)'s latest global report, which also found that the number of people living in internal displacement at the end of 2024 exceeded 80 million for the first time. In total, 83.4 million people were forced to move within their own country due to conflict and violence, as well as increasing disasters. That's equivalent to the population of Germany, and more than twice as many as only six years ago. 'Internal displacement is where conflict, poverty and climate collide, hitting the most vulnerable the hardest,' says Alexandra Bilak, IDMC director. Sarah Rosengaertner, deputy managing director at the Global Centre for Climate Mobility (GCCM), described the latest figures as 'sad but not surprising.' 'It dovetails with the news that the world has reached, if not surpassed, the threshold of 1.5°C of average global warming,' she tells Euronews Green. 'Unfortunately, we can expect that rising temperatures will mean more disasters and further increases in disaster-related displacement in the coming years and decades.' IDMC, part of the Norwegian Refugee Council, counts each time a person is forced to move as an internal displacement. So the 45.8 million disaster displacement figure - the highest since its records began in 2008 - refers to evacuations, not individuals. The number of internally displaced peoples (IDPs) on 31 December is a separate statistic, capturing a snapshot in time in each country. Of last year's 83.4 million total, 9.8 million people were displaced by disasters; a 29 per cent increase on 2023 and more than double the number from just five years ago. Weather-related events - many intensified by climate change - were responsible for 99.5 per cent of disaster displacements during the year, IDMC's Global Report on Internal Displacement (GRID) reveals. Cyclones - such as hurricanes Helene and Milton that hit the US, and typhoon Yagi that struck numerous countries in East Asia - triggered 54 per cent of movements tied to disasters in 2024. Floods prompted another 42 per cent, with major events on every continent: from Chad to Brazil, Afghanistan to the Philippines and across Europe. Many disaster displacements were pre-emptive evacuations that saved lives in the US, the Philippines, Bangladesh and elsewhere. IDMC says this shows that displacement can be a positive coping mechanism in disaster-prone countries. The 11 million disaster displacements in the US were the most ever recorded for a single country, it notes. Although climate-fuelled disasters are getting worse, 90 per cent of people internally displaced by the end of 2024 (73.5 million) had fled conflict and violence. In Sudan, the devastating civil war led to 11.6 million IDPs - the most ever for one country. Nearly the entire population of Gaza remained displaced at the end of the year - with some forced to flee from Israel's bombardment up to 10 times or more. The number of countries reporting both conflict and disaster displacement has tripled since 2009. More than three-quarters of people internally displaced by conflict and violence by the close of 2024 were living in countries with high or very high vulnerability to climate change, according to analysis of data from IDMC and the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative. 'Climate change increases the risk of being displaced and amplifies the vulnerabilities of displaced people, especially in places already affected by conflict and violence. When disasters strike in conflict settings, the risks multiply,' explains Vicente Anzellini, IDMC global and regional analysis manager. 'This convergence makes crises more complex, prolongs displacement, and sets back efforts to find durable solutions. Ignoring these overlapping risks puts people at risk of long-term displacement.' Resolving disaster displacement requires both immediate responses and long-term planning, Anzellini tells Euronews Green. People need humanitarian aid, but also investment in climate adaptation and mitigation - without which the number of displaced people will continue rising. 'There is not a single solution,' says Rosengaertner. 'We need an alliance of political leaders, technocrats, entrepreneurs and community leaders to advance a combination of actions that both protect people's right to stay and enable movement in dignity.' First and foremost, this means cutting greenhouse gas emissions that are fuelling extreme weather events. The GCCM, which is backed by UN agencies, highlights four other steps: Urban areas will often be at the forefront of responding to displaced persons' needs, Rosengaertner adds, and so must be prepared to provide safety and opportunity. Internal displacement 'uproots lives', in Anzellini's words. It is a clear form of 'loss and damage' - a new category of climate finance which countries agreed to deliver at the UN climate summit in 2022. But, he says, 'while progress and commitments have been made, current funding is far below what is needed and often fails to account for the true costs of displacement.' The increasing recognition that more funding should be allocated for adaptation and loss and damage does not mean that the necessary funds are being made available, says Rosengaertner. Or that they come in the form that recipient countries deem fair. 'Displacement risk and displaced populations are not necessarily at the top of priorities (yet) when governments seek funding for adaptation and L&D,' she adds. Priorities are likely to get more competitive, as wealthy countries have been cutting their humanitarian aid budgets recently. As well as directly impacting displaced people, 'these cuts also affect a lot of the data sources and systems that we rely on to monitor and understand internal displacement,' explains Anzellini. It's too early to tell the full extent of these impacts, though, and lack of data will inevitably make it harder for organisations to plan responses. 'Cuts to humanitarian and development aid are already costing lives and will make many communities more vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather and disasters,' Rosengaertner warns. 'At a time when many people are looking for order, these cuts are a recipe for further destabilising already vulnerable populations and societies.' However, she says, there could be space for 'rethinking' development aid and climate finance. If rich countries were to compensate for the cuts by improving conditions for trade and labour mobility, for example, or engaging in technology transfer, 'maybe the net outcome of aid cuts could be positive.' 'What is critical,' she concludes, 'is that more resources reach countries and communities in need and create skills, opportunities and climate resilience locally.'
