Climate change has emerged a central and undeniable issue for nations as its effects are causing environmental damage that triggers enormous human insecurity and conflict around the world. South Asia in particular has been identified as one of the more high risk regions of the world when it comes to climate vhange and its impacts. Though some scholars and policy makers contend there is no concrete evidence of a correliation between climate change and conflict, we compile compelling stories that connect climate change effects with human insecurity and conflict in South Asia. Using five years of research, looking at media and scientific reports from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, we document ample evidence that climate stress has become a powerful catalyst for social tension and insecurity. Erratic climate events (e.g., 2010 floods in Pakistan and 2012 flood in North India and Nepal) as a result of climate variability have impacted millions of livelihoods throughout South Asia and rendered billions of dollars in damage on homes and national infrastructure.
This book documents that when climate stress causes insecurity among people, the situations can be mainpulated for political ends, and often results in social confict.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bishnu Raj Upreti
Bishnu Raj Upreti holds a PhD in conflict management (2001) from
Wageningen University, the Netherlands. He is actively engaged in conflict
transformation and peace research as a researcher in South Asia. During 26
years of professional career, he has engaged in teaching and research at
University of London and University of Surrey in the UK as well as
teaching at Kathmandu University and South Asian Institute of Technology
of Purbanchal University. He worked in international organizations such as
UNDP, SDC, IDRC, IUCN, SNV, UMN, International Alert, DANIDA, DFID, ADB,
MS, WFP, FAO, and CARE International, ARD Inc, in the capacity of
professional staff and consultant. He has also spent some years in
government service as an assistant agricultural economist selected from
the Public Service Commission. He has eight books to his credit on
conflict management and many articles in different national and
international journals, magazines and edited books. Currently, he is
Regional Coordinator, South Asia Coordination Office of Swiss National
Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR)-North-South, based in Kathmandu.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Christopher Butler
Christopher Butler is Professor of English Language and LIterature at Oxford University. His many publications include Early Modernism and Interpretation, Deconstruction, and Ideology.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kiran Maharjan
Kiran Maharjan is currently a Ph.D. student in the Department of Political Economy at the University of Sydney. His research focuses on the political economy of livelihood strategies around transboundary rivers.
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