Slavery in different forms Slavery is not a thing of the past. It is very much alive and impacts more than 49 million people worldwide. It is, however, different from the state-allowed legal ownership of human beings.

Modern slavery exists in different forms today. It is characterised by the exploitation of humans at the hands of others: exploitation of their labour, or their bodies, and denial of their human rights and freedom. In most instances, their exploitation is hidden in plain sight. For example, people are pushed into sex trafficking or made to work against their will, or are in fields, in homes, or in sweatshops, in mining or selling drugs.

Modern slavery impacts those who are already vulnerable in society either due to their gender, economic position, religion, caste, ethnicity, age or political situation of their country. More than 70% of the people in modern slavery today are females. In India alone, more than 10 million people are forced into sex trafficking, forced marriages or bonded labour, which is when someone is forced to work as a means of repaying a loan.

Climate change and modern slavery With global temperatures already 1.1°C higher than in the pre-industrial era, climate change is a reality. Climate change impacts rainfall patterns, causing ravaging floods in some regions and droughts in others. It increases the likelihood of extreme weather events such as cyclones. It is causing the sea level rise which is inundating coastal areas and impacting the existence of islands. It is changing the biodiversity of regions, impacting crop production and water resources.

In a country where deep-rooted socio-economic inequality, combined with tradition, has already forced many people into exploitation, climate change is making even more people more vulnerable to modern slavery. In this blog, I will explain this link by focusing on the area of Sundarbans.

Sundarbans in the Indian state of West Bengal is a deltaic region. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its mangrove forests and Royal Bengal Tiger population. The region is extremely vulnerable to the effects of changing climate. The region is experiencing a higher frequency of cyclones, erosion of lands and salination of agricultural land.

Cyclones ravaged the region in 2020 and 2021. The aftermath of floods and cyclones has resulted in smaller areas being cut off from the mainland and becoming more vulnerable to crime. The regions that are more prone to cyclones have seen a higher number of trafficking cases.

The region is also experiencing disruption in the social infrastructure due to continued environmental stressors. Cyclones and floods result in the loss of crops, livestock, homes and infrastructure. The lack of livelihood opportunities forces migration away from these regions. People are also losing their lands due to erosion, leaving them no choice but to migrate. Those who are most vulnerable, and not able to adapt are impacted the most. Boys and men are often trafficked into forced labour and girls and women are either trafficked for domestic work or forced into sexual exploitation or forced marriages.

More needs to be done

The Indian constitution, adopted in 1950, forbade human trafficking and forced labour. The right against such exploitation is a fundamental right for all residing on Indian soil. India’s supreme court is the guarantor of these rights. The state has also passed legislation to enforce these rights such as The Bonded Labour Act of 1976.

However, legislation can only go so far – and cannot solve a problem which has roots in climate justice as well. The policies of the state need to recognise that modern slavery is not just legislative, in many cases it is intrinsically linked with climate change.

Experts have suggested solutions such as:

• There is a need to recognise loss and damage in the state’s policies: in cases where people face losses due to climate change, the state should provide them with adequate economic support
• Investing in reducing the vulnerability of the regions to climate-induced disasters
• Expediting the rehabilitation of people who have been rescued. Currently, it takes years for them to get any compensation, exacerbating their vulnerability. There is also a need to provide better support by empowering them through education and expanding their livelihood choices