Just transition beyond extraction: A spatial and comparative case study of two coal mining areas in India

India's reliance on coal for development faces growing challenges amid climate change, necessitating coal phase-down, guided by the principles of just transition. This work builds towards the need for spatial analysis of energy justice by acknowledging the significance of space in driving a just socio-technical transition. Drawing on the primary household surveys in two coal mining regions of Chatra district (Jharkhand state) and Jharsuguda district (Odisha state) in India, this work maps the geographic footprint of coal mining using various socio-economic indicators in a local context. Further, a comparative analysis of these two coal mining regions has examined the regional variations in coal dependency. The findings indicate that coal dependency is predominantly tied to livelihoods and is concentrated primarily within a 5-kilometre radius of coal mines, diminishing substantially beyond this range. The coal dependency is also higher for primary cooking fuel, higher income levels, and corporate social responsibility activities in this range. This study exposes the vulnerability of the coal mining region during the closure of coal mines by highlighting the low skill levels, low landholding patterns and low coverage of social security schemes like ration cards. It is demonstrated that notable regional disparities exist among coal mining regions regarding reliance on coal for livelihoods, cooking fuel, skill training, social security coverage and other indicators. These insights underscore the necessity of a bottom-up approach to guide a just energy transition, with a focus on adapting strategies to local contexts.