Testimonies confirm adverse impacts of climate change in India

Oxfam India, along with partner organizations has conducted public hearings at seven different cities of the country, weeks before the international summit. The seven cities include, Jaipur, Patna, Rishikesh, Puducherry, Bhubneshwar, Mumbai and finally Delhi, where the series was culminated in form of a women’s tribunal on Climate Justice. As the campaign shared a climate justice perspective, it also discussed the related issue of current paradigm of development which is largely driven by market and GDP oriented economy.

At the inauguration of public hearing in Jaipur, Aditi Kapoor, Economic Justice Lead Specialist of Oxfam India, said, "The objective of these hearings is to bring forward evidence in the form of testimonies of people to influence the decision makers on the urgency of taking action on the issue of climate change.

"Also, the final report to be submitted at Copenhagen would highlight the perspective of the developing nations in front of the world leaders which would help them keep the link between climate change and poverty in mind while framing the way ahead on this issue."

Flood prone areas

The impact of climate change on Flood Prone areas was discussed in pubic hearing at Patna. Farmers from flood affected areas in villages of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh reported that irregular rainfall and extreme weather conditions have destroyed agriculture and forced them to migrate to adjoining urban centers. While men migrate alone, women are left to face adverse local conditions and depend on irregular remittances.

Upendra Choudhary, from Dumri village of Muzaffarpur observed, "Migratory birds and the common sparrow have disappeared" from his area. He, like many other villagers, has been forced to adopt mixed cropping on his fields and believes that grain banks have become important to maintain food security.   

Urban ecosystems

At Mumbai public hearing, residents of the city’s urban slums spoke about blatant neglect and appalling lack of facilities like water, electricity and health care. Although slum dwellers and the homeless contribute least to climate change, they are routinely victimized in urban centres.

Neville D'Souza, a representative of fisher-folk in the Borivli-Gorai belt of North West Mumbai, says, "Our koliwadas (fishing villages) still exist. We have our own language and culture. But now when we go out to fish, we get more plastic in our daily catch. Pollution has resulted in many species of fish dying out. Our mangroves are being destroyed before our eyes."

Mountain communities

People from mountain ecosystems, in the public hearing at Rishikesh, said traditional livelihoods like agriculture and animal husbandry have suffered a setback due to rise in temperature,  and an upward migration of plants has been noted. It was reported that production of pulses and minor millets have declined, both in quantity and quality. Climate induced migration is high primarily due to shortage of water for irrigation.

Kamla Devi, a 65-year-old inhabitant of Ghungoli village near Almora in Uttarakhand said in the public hearing at Rishikesh, "Earlier, we had oak trees and the leaves provided the fodder for our livestock. Now, the oaks have been replaced with pine trees. Oak trees also help in recharging surface water and since oak forests are not there any longer, water sources too have begun to dry up. Earlier the livestock would yield milk. Now milk for children has to be acquired from commercial sources at unaffordable prices whereas earlier it came from homestead cattle." 

Arid regions

Farmers from arid regions in public hearing at Jaipur, observed a fall in precipitation and the number of rainy days, leading to disrupted agricultural cycles. Tribals and pastoral of Jharkhand have lost livelihoods due to reduced forest cover and loss of biodiversity.

Ramashanker, a farmer from Chhattisgarh pointed out that climate change has led to an increase in instances of crime and conflict due to competition over declining resources.

Women’s Tribunal on Climate Justice

(From L to R) Dr Pam Rajput with Anita Bharti, NACDOR and Mazher Hussain at the hearing/ Photo credit: Mahipal Singh Rawat/ OWSA

The culmination of the series was in national capital saw testimonies of dalit, adivasi and Muslim women from across the country. The testimonies presented by women and inputs of climate experts and activists hoped to bring gender perspective in climate change debate.

Highlighting the impact of climate change, Gouri Bai, from a hamlet in Bundelkhand said, "I have two acres of land that is lying bare due to scanty rainfall. The hand pumps are running dry and the loans taken to purchase water at high costs are piling up. No one helps us."

Similarly, Shayamali Das, a fisherwoman from Sunderbans in West Bengal has not only witnessed many cyclones, but has suffered a loss of as many as 20 species of fish. "Ten years back, a fisherman used to go out in the river for 15 days in a month and earned at least a thousand rupees. But for the last few years, our income has come down drastically. We now earn just a paltry Rs 400. Earlier we could sustain on fishing for 8 months in a year but now it is only 2-3 months", she says.

Her appeal to policy makers is, "Accept us and our knowledge as a base to adapt and mitigate climatic changes. Come out with strategies that recognize innovative farmers, gardeners, and fishermen who are the protectors of land, water, forest and lives associated with it."

The experiences of these women, along with articulations by academics, policymakers and experts have been collated in a Charter of Demands for advocacy purposes.