Abstract
“Mumbai among cities at maximum risk due to rising sea levels: WMO report.” “Dozens killed as deadly storms hit Brazilian coast.” “9 states in top 50 regions at risk of climate change hazards”. “Climate migrants escaping to Dhaka find that their new home is also sinking”. The Global South often wakes up to such climate change news. It is more than just an environmental crisis; it is also a social crisis that necessitates that we address inequality on numerous levels: between rich and poor nations; between countries’ rich and poor; between generations and between men and women. Poorer are hit harder, which further deepens inequality. A report on COVID-19 reveals that it took only 9 months for the world’s 1000 billionaires to recover from the pandemic, but for the poor, it will take decades to recover. Likewise, poorer countries, when hit by climate change, take decades to recuperate, putting not only the current generation but also the future generations into flipside. Global South countries frequently deal with critical social issues such as patriarchy, superstition, religious extremism, authoritarian and corrupt governments, and exploitative capitalism and thus mostly remain unprepared for issues such as climate change. With already burdened social issues and developmental models set by the Global North, climate change takes a back seat for much of the Global South.
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Notes
- 1.
Kumar (2023).
- 2.
Chatterjee (2023).
- 3.
Bose (2023).
- 4.
Illius (2023).
- 5.
Ivers (n.d.).
- 6.
Oxfam International (2021).
- 7.
OECD (2008), p. 70.
- 8.
A condition is created that makes it easier for certain groups to exploit other groups.
- 9.
Rosales (2008), p. 1490.
- 10.
As part of their daily religious practice, the Bishnois, a small community in Rajasthan, India, practice environmental conservation. They thought that it was wrong to cut down trees or kill animals or birds. The Bishnoi organisation is a branch off of Hinduism and was established by Jambhoji (1451–1536). As a small kid he saw during a few dry seasons, individuals slice trees to take care of creatures. The drought continued, and the animals eventually ran out of food because there was nothing left to feed them and they died. Jambhoji realised animals would have survived if the trees were protected and in turn his community would have survived. He therefore designed 29 principles which also include ban on cutting trees and killing animals. The Jambhoji community accepted these principles, and over time, the land grew into a lush, dense forest.
- 11.
In 1731, the King of Jodhpur, Abhay Singh, requested a large quantity of wood for burning bricks in his new palace. He sent Giridhardas, his minister, and woodcutter crews to Kherjarli’s Bishnoi village to cut down trees. Mother of three Amrita Devi wanted to save the trees. To safeguard them from being cut, she embraced a tree. However, the minister did not stop and cut Amrita Devi and the trees at the same time. As word of Amrita Devi spread, more women came to the rescue of the trees, and by the end of the day, 363 women who had embraced the trees had been cut down and killed with the trees.
- 12.
A forest conservation eco-feminist movement in India.
- 13.
An environmental conservation movement in India for protecting Kalasa forest in Karnataka, India.
- 14.
UN Women (2022).
- 15.
Steady (2014).
- 16.
Women Tourism (2020).
- 17.
Samman (1983).
- 18.
Statistics Time (2021).
- 19.
World Bank (2022).
- 20.
Bachmann (2020), p. 68.
- 21.
Madhok (2020).
- 22.
Ellison (2017), para. 5.
- 23.
Aquino (2023).
- 24.
Wicaksono and Hantoro (2023).
- 25.
Squeff (2023).
- 26.
Marwah (2023).
- 27.
Sharon (2023).
- 28.
Talukdar (2023).
- 29.
Lee and Kim (2023).
- 30.
Neubauer et al. v. Germany (2021), para. 174.
- 31.
Pluchon (2023).
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Talukdar, S. (2023). Introduction. In: Talukdar, S., de Aquino, V.E. (eds) Judicial Responses to Climate Change in the Global South. Living Signs of Law, vol 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-46142-2_1
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