Shifting Landscapes: Investigating the Linkages between Migration, Land Use Change, and Natural Disasters in Kerala, India

PRAVEENKUMAR M P, Indian Instititute of Management Mumbai
Vijaya Gupta, Indian Institute of Management Mumbai

This study explores the reverse relationship between migration and natural disasters, focusing on how migration and remittances contribute to climate-related disasters. In Kerala, India, migration to Gulf countries since the 1970s has brought economic benefits but has also led to environmental degradation. Between 1970 and 2018, paddy land cultivation in Kerala decreased from 0.881 million hectares to 0.197 million hectares. In Kerala paddy land serves as natural water regulators like wetlands. However, in areas with high migrant family settlements, these paddylands have been converted for residential, commercial, and agricultural purposes. This land-use change has severely impacted Kerala’s food security, biodiversity, and climate, intensifying floods, and droughts. Using secondary data from various sources, the study identifies the most vulnerable areas in terms of migration, land use, and natural disasters. A multiple linear regression model (FGLS) was applied to determine the causal relationships among migration and land use change. Findings reveal that financial remittances from migration have accelerated paddyland conversion. A case study is proposed to further explore land-use change and disaster frequency in high migrant district of Malappuram, highlighting the trade-offs between the short-term economic benefits of remittances and the long-term environmental and economic consequences of paddy-wetland depletion.

Keywords: International Migration, Population, Environment, and Climate Change

See extended abstract.