Climate-Induced Labour Precarity: Occupational Health Challenges for Migrant Labourers in India

The migrant labourers of India play a crucial role in the key sectors such as agriculture, construction, and manufacturing. However, because of hazardous working conditions, lack of effective social security measures, and exclusion from welfare programmes, they are among the most vulnerable segments of the labour force in the country. Their vulnerabilities are worsened by climate change. The frequency and severity of various health issues like heat stress and vector-borne diseases have increased due to rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, and unpredictable rainfall which disproportionately affect the migrant labourers. This study attempts to understand the role of climate change which amplifies the vulnerability of the migrant labourers in India through sectoral analysis. Various cases studies were selected which focused on occupational risks due to the nature of work and climate-change-driven vulnerabilities, drawn from various academic sources such as Google Scholar, Scopus, and Pub Med. The findings of this study urge for climate-resilient labour policies, modification of existing policies, and effective implementation to mitigate these risks.