31 – Environmental Activism in South Asia Amidst Rising Authoritarianism

October 1, 2025
1:45 pm
UGX60
As South Asia grapples with accelerating environmental crises, from severe air pollution to catastrophic climate events, the region also faces a surge in authoritarian governance. This panel explores the intricate dynamics of environmental activism in South Asia, examining how activists navigate the tightening political spaces, state repression, and socio-economic inequalities. We aim to highlight the strategies, innovations, and resilience of grassroots movements in South Asian countries, offering a comprehensive understanding of how local communities are striving to protect their environment against corporate encroachments (often mediated by political actors) and discuss the implications of these struggles for global environmental justice. Possible contributions include, but are not limited to, the following topics: • Authoritarian governments' manipulation of environmental policies for political gain and suppression of dissent • Innovative tactics utilised by activists to navigate and resist authoritarian restrictions in environmental advocacy • Threats faced by environmental activists in authoritarian contexts • Impact of civic space restrictions on environmental movements in South Asia • Disproportionate effects of authoritarian policies on marginalized groups • Case studies demonstrating environmental degradation as both a cause /effect of authoritarian policies • Exploring the intersections of environmental justice with social and cultural issues such as poverty, caste, gender, ethnicity • Showcasing successful campaigns and movements achieving environmental justice despite authoritarian challenges • Strategies for international organizations and regional alliances to support environmental justice movements in South Asia • Roles of international solidarity and digital advocacy in bolstering global environmental movements under authoritarian regimes

Convenors

Hosna Shewly
Eva Gerharz

Presentations

Epistemic Resistance on the Margins: Climate Activism, Social Media, and the Global South
Vincent Aparna - Indian Institute of Management Indore, Indian Institute of Management Indore, Indore, India
Sharma Shivani - Indian Institute of Management Indore, Indian Institute of Management Indore, Indore, India
Shaping Identities to Fight Injustice: Strategic Essentialism and Digital Resistance in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Pir Ghiasuddin - School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, London, United Kingdom
Climate activism under an authoritarian regime in Bangladesh: Some Cases
Farabi Fahima Al - Department of Development Studies, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Narratives of Environmental Justice and State-Making at the Margins in 2020s Indian Cinema
Dueholm Amalie Goul - Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan