Climate Refugees and Existential Resilience in the Indian Sundarbans: A Philosophical Counselling Approach

Hirak Sarkar; Shelly Bhakta

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i03.81752

Climate Refugees and Existential Resilience in the Indian Sundarbans: A Philosophical Counselling Approach

Author(s)	Dr. Hirak Sarkar, Shelly Bhakta
Country	India
Abstract	In the Indian Sundarbans, thousands of residents have been displaced due to climate induced vulnerabilities. This displacement does not involve only movement from one place to another; it also disrupts existing social relationships and community life. Many climate refugees end up in unfamiliar urban areas, where they struggle with poverty and discrimination. Living under such conditions often produces an intense sense of alienation and a fading feeling of purpose. In this way, what appears to be a geographical crisis slowly takes on emotional, ethical, and philosophical dimensions as well. Most development efforts remain focused on immediate relief and fiscal priorities. The inner lives and reflective experiences of displaced islanders are rarely given equal attention. This paper studies the potential of philosophical counselling as an initial means of engaging with the emotional and metaphysical difficulties faced by marginalised communities in the Sundarbans. It brings together different strands of applied philosophy-such as existential-humanistic therapy, Socratic dialogue, Buddhist mindfulness, environmental ethics, eco-phenomenology and community-based approaches to show that displacement is not simply physical but also intensely psychological and ontological. Those affected often go through anxiety, stress, grief, identity confusion and moral uncertainty. Philosophical counselling, in this context, can help by offering ethical clarity, strengthening resilience, opening space for dialogue, and assisting in the search for meaning, therefore supporting individuals as they manage environmental trauma. Viewing geographical realities through a philosophical lens thus offers a different way of responding to issues in the Anthropocene.
Keywords	Anthropocene, Climate Refugee, Counselling, Existential Crises, Resilience, Sundarbans, World View
Field	Sociology > Philosophy / Psychology / Religion
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 3, May-June 2026
Published On	2026-06-17
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i03.81752

View / Download PDF File

E-ISSN 2582-2160

doi

CrossRef DOI is assigned to each research paper published in our journal.

IJFMR DOI prefix is
10.36948/ijfmr

Downloads

Research Paper Format Copyright Permission Form and Undertaking Form Cover Page Vol 8 Isu 3 Cover Page Vol 8 Isu 2 Cover Page Vol 8 Isu 2

All research papers published on this website are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, and all rights belong to their respective authors/researchers.

CC-BY-SA

About IJFMR Fees & Payment Current Issue Publication Archive	Submit Research Paper Track Submission Status Publication Guidelines Publication Ethics Peer Review & Plagiarism	Join as a Reviewer Editors & Reviewers Reviewer Referral Program Get Reviewer Membership Certi.	Website/Journal Policies Usage Policy Content Policies Privacy Policy

Contact Us		+91-9687-828-838	editor@ijfmr.com

International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

Climate Refugees and Existential Resilience in the Indian Sundarbans: A Philosophical Counselling Approach

Share this