Calibrating Climate Conflict and Poverty in South Asia

Abstract

South Asia faces multi-dimensional vulnerabilities. The region is one of the densely populated region housing 23 percent of world’s population on barely 3 percent of the land area. It accounts for world’s 24 percent population living in extreme poverty. Muti-dimensional Poverty which is based on deprivation in terms of health, living standard and education also features South Asia in its lowest. The region is also one of the worst affected by climate change. Adverse effects of climate change are visible in the region in terms of increase in sea level, reduction in agricultural productivity, increase in floods and droughts. Therefore, the primary objective of this article is to show that the combination of the adverse effects of climate change and existing poverty can act as an accelerant of conflict or instability in the countries of the region which can be source of inter-state conflict. This article is based on secondary sources like articles in book, journals, policy reviews and internet sources of relevant international organizations to analyze the same. The paper identifies that the problem of climate refugees and hydrological war is the most pressing source of inter-sate conflict in the region. The paper suggests that pan South Asian institutional mechanism like South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) should be utilized for fighting climate change and associated vulnerabilities. Though SAARC has been rifted due to political difference yet climate change can be a common point of convergence to revive the organization. In the end the paper provides some policy recommendations in context to SAARC that can be included to manage the problem.