Paper short abstract:

The phenomenon of human (im)mobility is widely acknowledged as a result of climate change. We unpack this dominant narrative of (im)mobility as a consequence of natural phenomenon to bring back the focus on the skewed development policies of Uttarakhand.

Paper long abstract:

Unequal development policies play a significant role along with natural factors in the occurrence of climate emergencies. Although climate-induced movement concerns policymakers and scientists, there is a dearth of attention on the phenomenon from an all-encompassing viewpoint. We argue that migration includes not only people who move but also those who tend to stay back in their place of origin due to specific aspirations and capabilities. In a migration system, studying both decisions at the local level is important since they are co-dependent and frequently negotiated. These decisions are complex as mobility options in hill regions depend largely on forest resources vital to people’s livelihoods. Meanwhile, immobility alternatives are defined by strong place-based attachment, fear of new locations, and possible lack of opportunities. Governments, non-governmental organizations, and other external institutions also influence these decisions. To fully comprehend the decision-making processes within the migration system, it is imperative to analyse the interactions between all these stakeholders. Through ethnography, we explored the narratives of locals, those involved in adaptation and mitigation, and those who formulated and executed local development policies in the study area. This paper seeks to problematise the patterns of migration so as to assist inclusive policy formulation within the study area, namely the Garhwal division of Uttarakhand. This is done to accommodate better the migratory patterns, including (im)mobility within the policy-making process. This study is relevant to address the weak conception of (im)mobility in the growing literature that informs climate change policy in mountainous ecosystems.