“The desert has no voice; it simply shifts, silently erasing lives.”

A migration crisis is unfolding in the sun-scorched Thar Desert of Pakistan — not across borders, but within them. It is an exodus of silence, caused by environmental destruction, compulsory development, and institutional abandonment. These are not economic migrants or war refugees. They are nameless climate refugees forced out of their ancestral lands through a lethal combination of drought, coal mining, and institutional marginalization. Yet, they are not counted, not safeguarded, and largely invisible to Pakistan’s migration governance structures.

An Internal Displacement With No Recognition

In a 2024 paper, Migration as an Adaptation Measure to Achieve a Resilient Lifestyle in the Face of Climate-Induced Drought, a study of the Mithi sub-district revealed that internal migration in Thar is not only increasing — it is becoming a permanent condition. The major causes are water shortage, food insecurity, crop failure, and lack of access to health and education (Memon et al., 2024). Almost three-quarters of migrant families report being psychologically distressed, and two-thirds affirm that the population in their home regions is declining (MDPI).

However, not all displacement is climate-induced. Entire communities have been resettled due to the Thar Coal Project. In 2018, the population of Senhri Dars was relocated to a so-called model village 13.9 km away. Most families have lost touch with their ancestral lands, cultural institutions, and sustainable livelihoods despite promises of roads, markets, clinics, and schools (The News on Sunday).

Five Things Pakistan’s Migration Framework Misses

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