The impact of Forced displacement in South Asia will lead to scarcity and dispossession of land and create ‘spaces of exception’ and ‘spaces of exclusion’. Such dispossession will create new ‘global souls’ [climate Refugees] and new social-cultural geographies of identity determined and organised on the basic of catastrophic climatic events. The momentous rejoinder to climate change will require sacrifices, strong regional Institutions with accurate governance and cooperation across multiple scales. Hitherto, the land management policies of the State in South Asia have failed in supporting the commons and the livelihoods options of the citizens and non-citizens alike. With emerging discourse of climate change new land management policies are indispensable that will further demand committed leadership and powerful regulation. The goal of this paper is to analyses the relevance of Bhoodan movement as an institution to govern the common property management and the use of natural resources in a sustainable way. This paper will further look into how this concept can be used inter-state or intra-state within South Asia towards climate displaced community across multiple logics of dispossession, violence and insecurity and where wider socio-economic, political and legal struggles come together and understand that whether it would be able to provide land and dignity to millions who will be crossing edge in search of protected lands and livelihood.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Dispossession of climate geographies
3. Role of the State and Climate displacements
4. Climate induced assimilation – The Battle for land and [Law] in South Asian Region
5. Governing of Climate displacements: The Bhoodan Way
6. Conclusions
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this paper is to examine the relevance of the Bhoodan movement as an institutional framework for managing common property and natural resources in a sustainable manner, specifically addressing the challenges of land dispossession and resettlement for climate-displaced communities in South Asia.
- The intersection of climate change, forced migration, and land dispossession in South Asia.
- The inadequacy of current state land management policies and international refugee laws regarding climate-displaced populations.
- The historical and philosophical foundations of the Bhoodan and Gramdan movements as models for collective land redistribution.
- Proposing the Bhoodan approach as a non-violent, institutional alternative for providing dignity and land rights to climate migrants.
Excerpt from the Book
Governing of Climate displacements: The Bhoodan Way
The Twenty first century will be witnessing numerous micro and regional geopolitical movements for the protection of land rights for displaced climate community by using local spaces either inter-state or across borders. A Social movement emerges to meet a ‘newly-felt need’xliii. Blumer (1951) too argues that social movements arise out of ‘undefined or unstructured situations’ which cause stresses in the system. Geo- spacial-cultural movements either inter or intra state means a set of social- spatial strategies of resistance adopted by communities on the margins against the dominant narratives (understanding) and written geographies of meaning forcibly imposed on their respective rooted localities and livelihoods.
What are unfolding in South Asia would be micro geo- spatial-cultural movements of resistance like Bhoodan movement for the land against the neo- liberal world order, International and National climate change discourses and Climate action plans of States that tend to push into unconsciousness the long standing histories of environmental injustices. There is considerable literature to show why landless people start movements and confrontation in order to attain landxliv .The movement of Bhoondan would start from local spaces then moving across regional spaces against every geographical scales of climate problem from local to the global. This movement would be an attempt of repossession of geography through aid, donation and development assistance either within a country or if required then across the region.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This chapter establishes the relationship between climate change and the geography of dispossession, proposing the Bhoodan movement as a potential planning option to secure the future of climate migrants.
Dispossession of climate geographies: This section explores how climate-induced events like rising sea levels, flooding, and extreme weather in South Asia create environmental, humanitarian, and security challenges, forcing populations to migrate.
Role of the State and Climate displacements: This chapter analyzes how current state policies in South Asia fail to support livelihoods and protect the land rights of vulnerable populations, urging for better regional cooperation and resettlement strategies.
Climate induced assimilation – The Battle for land and [Law] in South Asian Region: This chapter discusses the legal vacuum regarding refugees in South Asia, arguing that international laws are ill-suited to the region's needs and that land policies must be "climate proofed."
Governing of Climate displacements: The Bhoodan Way: This chapter introduces the Bhoodan and Gramdan movements as decentralized, non-violent institutional responses for redistributing land to the landless and fostering collective ownership.
Conclusions: The final chapter summarizes that the Bhoodan movement offers a viable, non-violent framework for addressing land disputes and creating an egalitarian society for climate migrants across South Asian boundaries.
Keywords
South Asia, Climate Change, Bhoodan Movement, Climate Displacements, Land Dispossession, Forced Migration, Common Property Resources, Social Movements, Environmental Justice, Land Reform, Gramdan, Refugee Crisis, Sustainable Resource Management, Human Rights, Regional Cooperation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The paper focuses on the nexus between climate change-induced displacement and the resulting land crises in South Asia, evaluating the Bhoodan movement as a potential solution.
What are the central themes of the work?
The central themes include land dispossession, the failure of existing state-level and international legal frameworks to protect climate migrants, and the potential for grassroots, non-violent institutional movements to provide land security.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to determine if the institutional philosophy of the Bhoodan movement can be adapted as a regional mechanism to provide land and dignity to millions of climate-displaced people in South Asia.
Which methodology is employed in the study?
The study utilizes a socio-geographical analysis, integrating literature on vulnerability in coastal South Asian regions with an assessment of the historical Bhoodan movement to propose a new, land-based adaptation framework.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main sections cover the geographical impacts of climate change, the inadequacy of current land tenure arrangements, the geopolitical discourse of "climate refugees," and the historical implementation of the Bhoodan and Gramdan models.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include South Asia, Climate Change, Bhoodan Movement, Climate Displacements, Land Dispossession, and Environmental Justice.
How does the author define the 'Bhoodan Way' in the context of climate change?
The author defines it as a non-violent, decentralized social movement that encourages the voluntary donation of land to be shared collectively, providing an alternative to individual ownership and state-led resettlement failures.
Why does the author argue that existing international refugee laws are insufficient for South Asia?
The author argues that these laws were drafted post-WWII without adequate Asian representation and are perceived as "alien" to the specific social, cultural, and economic needs of the region, leaving climate migrants in a legal vacuum.
- Quote paper
- Dr Sonali Narang (Author), 2017, Geographies of Dispossession to "Bhoodan" Repossession-Climate Displacements, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/374152
