Kerala's Recurring Natural Disasters Prompt Call for Ecological Governance
From the severe drought of 2016 to the devastating Wayanad landslide in 2024, Kerala has endured a relentless cycle of natural disasters, including cyclones, floods, and landslides. These events have claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed countless livelihoods, highlighting a persistent crisis in the region. The government's response has typically followed a familiar pattern: financial aid, relief packages, and housing schemes for those affected. However, this cycle continues to repeat, raising urgent questions about underlying causes.
The Silence on Deeper Ecological Causes
What remains striking is the absence of sustained political and public discourse on the deeper causes of these recurring disasters. Beyond a handful of environmentalists and scientists, there is limited engagement with the ecological consequences of unregulated construction, land-use changes, and the accelerating effects of climate change. This silence persists both at the level of governance and within communities that bear the brunt of these crises, creating a gap in effective long-term solutions.
Kerala Paristhithi Aikya Vedi Unveils Environmental Charter
Against this backdrop, the Kerala Paristhithi Aikya Vedi—a broad coalition of environmentalists, researchers, and community leaders—has unveiled 'From Forest to Sea: Kerala People's Environment Charter.' This manifesto aims to rekindle the spirit of landmark environmental campaigns that once defined Kerala, such as the movements to protect Silent Valley and Athirapally waterfalls. Sridhar Radhakrishnan, convenor of the charter's drafting committee, points to an earlier phase when environmental concerns held greater political weight.
During the V S Achuthanandan government (2006–2011), a cluster of like-minded ministers enabled policies such as the Kerala Conservation of Paddyland and Wetland Act, 2008. That period, he suggests, reflected an understanding that governance must go beyond labour politics to include ecological sustainability—what he describes as the emergence of 'Green politics.'
Political Shifts and Environmental Dilution
Subsequent governments, however, diluted this trajectory. While the Oommen Chandy administration entertained projects with potential ecological consequences, internal dissent within Congress prevented some of the more damaging proposals from advancing. Leaders such as V D Satheesan, V M Sudheeran, and T N Prathapan openly questioned attempts to weaken environmental safeguards.
Sridhar notes, "A couple of ministers in the first Pinarayi government raised only mild environmental concerns about it. But when the second Pinarayi government came to power, a dummy cabinet was formed where no one dared to raise objections. The state has witnessed some of its worst disasters in the past decade, and we cannot continue with development projects like these without factoring in ecological, climatic and hydrological concerns. It is in this context that we introduced the manifesto."
Generational Perspectives on Environmental Policy
A senior CPI leader who served in the previous LDF government, speaking anonymously, offered a generational perspective. "Older politicians grew up with a lived relationship with nature—birdsong at dawn, watching coconut and plantain trees grow. That organic connection shaped their understanding of the environment. Today's younger MLAs lack that experience, and it reflects in policy."
Former Congress MLA T N Prathapan frames 'Green politics' as a broader ethical and political framework, one that links ecological protection with anti-communalism, anti-narcotics, and non-violence. Yet, he observes, mainstream political parties have largely failed to integrate these ideas into their manifestos. "Kerala is facing the severe impacts of climate change, alongside a steady decline in its agricultural sector. Ironically, there have been no meaningful steps to address or reverse the crisis," he says.
Influential Voices and the Future of Green Politics
Political observer N M Pearson underscores another dimension: The absence of influential voices like the late poet Sugathakumari and environmentalist M K Prasad, who once shaped pro-environment policy from within the political mainstream. Without such figures, he warns, 'Green politics' risks losing whatever momentum it has left, making it crucial to foster new leadership in this area.
Blueprint for Ecological Governance
Released by Kerala Paristhithi Aikya Vedi, the charter calls on political parties to adopt shared environmental commitments that transcend electoral cycles. Environmental governance, it argues, can no longer be treated as a sectoral concern—it is central to food security, fiscal stability, public safety, and social justice. Spanning 20 chapters across three parts, the charter covers every critical domain from forests to rivers to the coast, laying out what governments must do to strengthen ecological stability, reduce climate risk, and protect livelihoods.
This comprehensive approach aims to break the cycle of disasters by embedding sustainability into Kerala's political and developmental frameworks, urging a shift towards long-term ecological resilience.
