The Politics of Climate Change in South Asia

Session Submission Type: Full Paper Panel

Session Description

South Asia is at the forefront of climate change: recent reports predict that by 2030, millions of people in the region will be exposed to extreme heat. In recent years, countries in the region have been subject to extreme weather events such as floods and droughts. The climate crisis is compounded by the seeming lack of political mobilization around climate change and environmental degradation which threatens millions of livelihoods, health and wellbeing for these countries. This panel brings together emerging scholarship on the politics of climate change. Each of the papers addresses critical aspects of climate change, including political mobilization, awareness and decision-making, and adaptation.
First, Gaikwad and Zucker examine the determinants of citizen’s political action on climate change. Using humanized testimonials about present-day climate impacts, delivered via in-person canvassing campaigns, they examine whether these increase support for government policies. Next, Butt illustrates the geopolitical dimension of climate security in the region. The paper describes the nature of geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan, and why diplomatic isolation between these two countries prevents potential measures against climate change. Cooperman and Rains' paper provides insight into why a highly mobilized group of actors in urban India – slum residents – have limited information about climate change. Their study leverages an original survey of 900 low-income residents in Jaipur, India, and find that while awareness and mobilization around climate change is limited, residents are concerned about increasing heat intensity, and receptive to information on adaptation policies. Haider looks at the degradation of urban water access among low-income communities in Lahore, Pakistan, and uses experimental methods to examine willingness to take political action. Finally, Brule and Dixit use evidence from droughts in Bangladesh to show the impact on women's labor force participation, and autonomy in the household. Using data on over 78,000 households, they show that exposure to droughts increases women’s involvement in paid work.

Sub Unit

• Division 62: South Asian Politics

Individual Presentations

• Climate Canvassing in Divided Democracies-Field Experimental Evidence from India - Nikhar Gaikwad, Columbia University; Noah Zucker, London School of Economics

• Climate Change in South Asia: The Cost of Geopolitical Tension - Ahsan Ishaq Butt

• Climate Opinion and Political Participation in India’s Urban Slums - Alicia Dailey Cooperman, George Washington University; Emily Rains, Tulane University

• The Devil We Know: Environmental Hazards and Policy Action in Urban Pakistan - Erum Aly Haider, Georgetown University

Chair

• Nikhar Gaikwad Columbia University

Discussants

• Erum Aly Haider Georgetown University

• Nikhar Gaikwad Columbia University