The abandoned houses of Old Podampetta on India’s east coast tell the story of a small fishing village that no longer exists. Families once woke up to the sound of the sea and made their living by reading the tides and winds. But years of coastal erosion and relentless cyclones eventually made staying impossible.
Similar stories are playing out across south Asia. Bangladesh and India recorded nearly 8 million people displaced within their borders by rapid-onset climate hazards in 2024 alone. Most were emergency evacuations before or after disasters such as cyclones, with people hoping to return home as soon as it was safe.
