Jou nal o Resea ch and De elopmen
A Mul idisciplina y In e na ional Le el Re e ed and Double Blind Pee Re iewed, Open Access
ISSN : 2230-9578 | Websi e: h ps://j d b.o g Volume-17, Issue-9(V)| Sep embe 2025
6
Clima e Change, Vulne able Regions, and he Indian Cons i u ion
D . Uday Nanaso Su yawanshi
(M.A., NET., P.hd.) Dep . Geog aphy, Mohna ao Pa ang ao Pa il
Maha idyalaya, Bo gaon Tal. Walwa, Dis . Sangli
Email: udaysu [email protected]
Manusc ip ID:
JRD -2025-170902
ISSN: 2230-9578
Volume 17
Issue 9 (V)
Pp. 6-8
Sep . 2025
Submi ed: 15 Aug. 2025
Re ised: 25 Aug. 2025
Accep ed: 10 Sep . 2025
Published: 30 Sep . 2025
Abs ac Clima e change is no longe a dis an en i onmen al conce n—i is a p essing legal, human
igh s, and de elopmen al issue. In India, he e ec s o clima e change disp opo iona ely impac ce ain
egions due o ecological agili y and social ulne abili y. The Indian Cons i u ion con ains se e al
p o isions manda ing en i onmen al p o ec ion and equi able de elopmen , ye hei p ac ical en o cemen
emains inconsis en . This s udy explo es he cons i u ional amewo k and legal esponsibili ies ela ed o
clima e go e nance in India, ocusing on he eali ies aced by clima e- ulne able egions. Th ough legal
analysis, egional case s udies, and e iew o policy implemen a ion, he pape highligh s he u gen need
o egion-speci ic clima e adap a ion s a egies g ounded in cons i u ional p inciples and en i onmen al
jus ice.
Keywo ds: Clima e Change, Vulne able Regions, Indian Cons i u ion, En i onmen al P o ec ion,
En i onmen al Jus ice, Sus ainable De elopmen
In oduc ion:
India, wi h i s as geog aphical and clima ic di e si y, aces unique and se e e
challenges om clima e change. F om ising sea le els along he coas s o glacial mel ing in he
Himalayas, e a ic ain all in d ough -p one zones o de o es a ion in ibal egions—each
egion has i s own clima e- ela ed h ea s. While he Indian Cons i u ion p o ides a s ong
ounda ion o en i onmen al p o ec ion h ough A icles 21, 48A, and 51A(g), ansla ing hese
legal p inciples in o p ac ice emains a challenge, especially in a eas whe e ins i u ional capaci y
is weak and communi ies a e al eady ma ginalized. This esea ch examines how legal
esponsibili ies unde he Cons i u ion a e ealized in p ac ice ac oss ulne able egions, and
how egional dispa i ies in luence en i onmen al go e nance.
Signi icance o he S udy:
Emphasizes he in e sec ion o clima e ulne abili y and cons i u ional manda es in
India. Highligh s egion-speci ic challenges ha a ec clima e esilience and legal en o cemen .
Con ibu es o he discou se on en i onmen al jus ice and cons i u ional esponsibili y.
Encou ages in eg a ion o clima e adap a ion in o legal and go e nance amewo ks. Suppo s
de elopmen o ailo ed, inclusi e policies o high- isk egions.
Objec i es:
1. To analyze cons i u ional p o isions ela ed o en i onmen al p o ec ion and clima e ac ion.
2. To iden i y he mos clima e- ulne able egions in India and hei speci ic challenges.
3. To assess how legal and policy measu es a e implemen ed ac oss hese egions.
4. To e alua e he ole o Indian judicia y in shaping clima e and en i onmen al
ju isp udence.
To p opose ecommenda ions o s eng hening egional clima e go e nance h ough
law and policy.
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Add ess o co espondence:
D . Uday Nanaso Su yawanshi, (M.A., NET., P.hd.) Dep . Geog aphy, Mohna ao Pa ang ao Pa il
Maha idyalaya, Bo gaon Tal. Walwa, Dis . Sangli
How o ci e his a icle:
Uday Nanaso Su yawanshi (2025). Clima e Change, Vulne able Regions, and he Indian
Cons i u ion Jou nal o Resea ch & De elopmen , 17(9), 6-8
O iginal A icle
Jou nal o Resea ch and De elopmen
A Mul idisciplina y In e na ional Le el Re e ed and Double Blind Pee Re iewed, Open Access
ISSN : 2230-9578 | Websi e: h ps://j d b.o g Volume-17, Issue-9(V)| Sep embe 2025
7
S udy A ea / Loca ion: -
The s udy ocuses on selec ed egions in India ha a e bo h ecologically sensi i e and socio-economically
ulne able:
Region Type
S a es/A eas In ol ed
Key Clima e Issues
Coas al Regions
Odisha, Wes Bengal, Ke ala
Cyclones, sea-le el ise, sal wa e in usion
Himalayan Region
U a akhand, Himachal P adesh, Sikkim
Glacial e ea , landslides, lash loods
D ough Zones
Ma a hwada (Maha ash a), Bundelkhand
(UP & MP)
Wa e sca ci y, c op ailu e, u al mig a ion
T ibal Fo es A eas
Chha isga h, Jha khand, No heas India
De o es a ion, displacemen , biodi e si y loss
These egions ep esen a c oss-sec ion o India’s clima e isk landscape, o e ing a di e se iew o how
clima e change in e sec s wi h legal en o cemen and go e nance.
Me hodology:
1. Doc inal Legal Resea ch
Re iew o cons i u ional p o isions: A icles 21, 48A, 51A(g). Analysis o key en i onmen al laws: En i onmen al
P o ec ion Ac (1986), Fo es Righ s Ac (2006), Disas e Managemen Ac (2005)
2. Case S udy App oach
Selec ion o one ep esen a i e a ea om each ulne able ca ego y. Collec ion o da a om go e nmen epo s, legal
documen s, and NGO publica ions
3. Judicial Re iew
S udy o landma k en i onmen al cases and hei egional impac . Analysis o how he judicia y has in e p e ed
cons i u ional du ies ela ed o clima e change
4. Policy and Ins i u ional Analysis
Examina ion o he Na ional and S a e Ac ion Plans on Clima e Change (NAPCC, SAPCCs). Assessmen o local
implemen a ion, unding, and go e nance mechanisms
5. Seconda y Da a Sou ces
Repo s om CEEW, UNDP, IPCC, IMD, and NITI Aayog
Clima e ulne abili y indices, haza d maps, and egional policy e alua ions
Jou nal o Resea ch and De elopmen
A Mul idisciplina y In e na ional Le el Re e ed and Double Blind Pee Re iewed, Open Access
ISSN : 2230-9578 | Websi e: h ps://j d b.o g Volume-17, Issue-9(V)| Sep embe 2025
8
Analysis and Discussion:
Cons i u ional P o isions and En i onmen al P o ec ion he Indian Cons i u ion lays a s ong legal ounda ion
o en i onmen al p o ec ion: -
A icle 21 ensu es he igh o li e, which has been judicially expanded o include he igh o a clean and heal hy
en i onmen .
A icle 48A di ec s he s a e o p o ec and imp o e he en i onmen .
A icle 51A(g) makes i a undamen al du y o ci izens o p o ec na u e and ecological balance. Despi e his
amewo k, clima e-speci ic esponsibili ies a e no di ec ly a icula ed, lea ing implemen a ion la gely dependen
on in e p e a ion and poli ical will.
2. Regional Dispa i ies in Vulne abili y and Legal Implemen a ion: -
a) Coas al Regions (e.g., Odisha) Despi e s ong cyclone wa ning sys ems, ese lemen and long- e m adap a ion
planning emain weak. Coas al Regula ion Zone (CRZ) no ms a e o en iola ed o in as uc u e p ojec s.
b) Himalayan S a es (e.g., U a akhand) Clima e-sensi i e ecosys ems a e h ea ened by un egula ed ou ism and
in as uc u e de elopmen . Cou s ha e in e ened, bu implemen a ion o ecological zoning emains inconsis en .
c) D ough -P one A eas (e.g., Ma a hwada) F equen d ough s highligh he ailu e o wa e managemen policies.
Legal manda es exis unde disas e and en i onmen laws, bu lack o accoun abili y and poo planning pe sis .
d) T ibal and Fo es A eas (e.g., Chha isga h) Despi e he Fo es Righ s Ac (2006), o es -dependen communi ies
ace displacemen and en i onmen al deg ada ion due o mining and de elopmen p ojec s. Judicial decisions o en
p o ec co po a e in e es s o e ibal igh s.
3. Role o he Judicia y he Indian judicia y has played a i al ole in s eng hening en i onmen al p o ec ion.
No able cases include:
MC Meh a . Union o India – Expanded en i onmen al ju isp udence h ough PILs.
Vello e Ci izens Wel a e Fo um . Union o India – Recognized sus ainable de elopmen as a cons i u ional
p inciple.
T.N. Goda a man . Union o India – En o ced Fo es conse a ion ac oss he coun y. Howe e , many judicial
o de s lack en o cemen , especially in emo e and poli ically weak egions.
4. Ins i u ional and Policy Challenges:
Na ional and S a e Ac ion Plans o en lack egion-speci ic adap a ion s a egies.
Local go e nmen s ace unding cons ain s and capaci y issues.
Clima e policy emains cen alized, wi h insu icien inpu om ulne able communi ies.
En i onmen al Impac Assessmen s (EIAs) a e o en dilu ed o economic p ojec s.
Conclusion:
India's legal and cons i u ional amewo k p o ides a s ong manda e o en i onmen al p o ec ion. Howe e ,
clima e change p esen s new challenges ha equi e a mo e nuanced and egionally g ounded esponse. Vulne able
a eas such as coas al bel s, hilly e ains, d ough zones, and ibal o es s ace speci ic isks ha a e no adequa ely
add essed h ough gene alized na ional policies. B idging he gap be ween cons i u ional ision and egional eali ies
equi es s onge local go e nance, judicial accoun abili y, communi y pa icipa ion, and clima e-sensi i e legal
e o ms. A igh s-based app oach o clima e go e nance can ensu e ha he mos a ec ed popula ions a e p o ec ed, no
only by laws bu also by jus ice.
Re e ences:
1. Cons i u ion o India (1950)
2. En i onmen (P o ec ion) Ac , 1986
3. Fo es Righ s Ac , 2006
4. Disas e Managemen Ac , 2005
5. MC Meh a . Union o India, AIR 1987 SC 1086
6. T.N. Goda a man Thi umulpad . Union o India, AIR 1997 SC 1228
7. Vello e Ci izens Wel a e Fo um . Union o India, AIR 1996 SC 2715
8. UNDP India. Clima e Resilience and Adap a ion S a egies, 2022
9. IPCC Six h Assessmen Repo , 2022
10. CEEW. Clima e Vulne abili y Index o Indian S a es, 2021
11. NITI Aayog. S a e Clima e Ac ion Repo s
12. Cen e o Science and En i onmen (CSE). S a e o India’s En i onmen Repo s
13. Leelak ishnan, P. (2019). En i onmen al Law in India. LexisNexis
14. Rajamani, L. (2010). The Righ o En i onmen al P o ec ion in India. Ox o d Uni e si y P ess
15. Minis y o En i onmen , Fo es and Clima e Change (MoEFCC) Repo s
