Equity and justice for sustainable development: comparing evidence on adaptation enablers from Indian States

Purnamita Dasgupta (), Girika Sharma and Arabinda Mishra
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Purnamita Dasgupta: University of Delhi Enclave (North Campus), Institute of Economic Growth
Girika Sharma: University of Delhi Enclave, Institute of Economic Growth
Arabinda Mishra: Development and Environment Futures Trust (DEFT)

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 2025, vol. 30, issue 8, No 13, 26 pages

Abstract: Abstract The paper examines the complex concerns of fairness and equity in adaptation, which in turn have implications for the distribution of climate change impacts, costs and benefits. The issues of justice have received relatively less attention in the climate adaptation context. The dimensions of justice, namely, distributive, procedural, recognitional, and restorative, are crucial for informing planning, implementation and evaluation of adaptation. These four justice dimensions are examined using variables that constitute adaptation enablers, to conduct a comparison across twenty states of India in terms of whether a state is likely to experience injustice across these 4 dimensions, as compared to another, if an adaptation project is undertaken. Through a comprehensive assessment method inspired by the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Index, the study ranks states based on their performance in distributional, procedural, recognitional and restorative justice categories separately followed by a final ranking calculated by integrating the scores in each justice dimension. The findings reveal significant variations across states of India. For instance, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Himachal Pradesh perform well across multiple justice categories while Jharkhand, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Bihar display scope for improvements under various heads. The paper presents a case study of the state of Odisha, highlighting the scope for advancing on justice dimensions using policy and planning instruments that can be supportive of climate adaptation and sustainable development. The paper underscores the importance of onboarding different aspects of justice for enabling effective adaption which is both sustainable and inclusive in furthering climate resilience.

Keywords: Equity; Climate justice; Adaptation; Sustainable development; Resilience; Vulnerability; India (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s11027-025-10274-1

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