From the Sundarban delta to Deccan ‘Aurangabad’: climatic refugees’ resilience for livelihood

Abstract

ABSTRACT Climatic disasters and ecological threats lead to migrations of people with transitions in livelihood as displaced communities. Climatic changes and demographic pressures are harshly hampering the ecological balance of the Sundarbans delta region. Western Indian Ocean region's industrial spaces and town economies are alternatives of livelihood for migrants from Sundarbans delta. Historically, the two littorals and hinterland of Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal of the Indian Ocean remain connected through trade networks. The Colonial State connected these two hinterlands of South Asia through railway networks. Since the late nineteenth century migrations within the regions for livelihood increased. With the twenty-first century the severity of the migration increased because of climatic change. In this research, I investigated the patterns of migration from the Sundarbans delta to the Western Indian Ocean region hinterland city of `Aurangabad.' This empirical study situates the transitions and impacts on livelihood fragility of the communities displaced.