The impact of climate change is a global concern and in India where large numbers of people are poor and dependent on agriculture and informal sector for their livelihoods, the impact of climate change is quite critical. In order to address key issues relating to climate change and its inter-linkages with the world of work, the V. V. Giri National Labour Institute has set up a new research centre namely Centre for Climate Change and Labour in the year 2010. The major objective of the research centre is to carry out policy oriented research on climate change and its inter-linkages with labour and livelihoods. The core research areas of the centre are as follows:
Core Research Areas
- Understanding inter-linkages between climate change, labour and livelihoods;
- Employment Challenges of Climate Change and transition to ‘Green Jobs’;
- Assessment of livelihood adaptation and mitigation strategies to climate variability and change at the macro, meso and micro level;
- Climate change and its impact on migration and
- Impact of climate change on natural resources, forests and commons.
Specific Researchable Issues include:
- Effect of climate change on the livelihoods of vulnerable workers engaged in subsistence farming, informal economy, tourism sector, coastal fishing/salt/farming community and indigenous forest dependent scheduled tribes;
- Role of employers and trade unions in reorganizing production processes, protecting job losses and re-orienting macro policies to combat climate change;
- Impact of climate change on food security through its linkage with reduction in agriculture production and productivity caused by prolonged droughts, floods and highly erratic monsoon;
- Role of NREGA in protecting livelihood security and adapting to climate change;
- Climate Change and Gender;
- Climate Change and its impact on accelerating migration processes;
- Understanding local perceptions on climate impacts, local coping capacities, and existing adaptation strategies.
- Capacity building and orientation programmes for various stakeholders about the science of climate change, its potential impact and about various adaptation and mitigation strategies.
Centre Coordinator
