Climate crisis: 60 million Indians at risk from rising sea level

By 2100, under a 2°C global temperature rise scenario, an estimated 60 million Indians could be at risk from rising sea levels.

A recent comprehensive study has highlighted India's significant vulnerability to climate change, with potentially severe consequences for millions of citizens by the end of the century.

The Lancet research, which includes India as a key case study, paints a sobering picture of the environmental challenges facing the world's most populous nation.

By 2100, under a 2°C global temperature rise scenario, an estimated 60 million Indians could be at risk from rising sea levels.

Even in a more optimistic 1.5°C warming scenario, about 80 million people may experience extreme heat conditions, with mean annual temperatures surpassing 29°C - a threshold considered the upper limit of the historically conserved human climate niche.

The study also raises alarms about India's exposure to dangerously high wet bulb temperatures, which could exceed safe limits for human heat stress in many regions. Beyond climate-specific threats, the research reveals widespread environmental degradation affecting billions of Indians.