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Environmental movements: bridging the north-south divide

Are new environmental movements bridging the North-South divide? A comparison of Australia and India.

Abstract

Environmental movements in the industrialised North, have historically been seen as different from those in the South: the former involving the concerns of affluent citizens, and the latter, uprisings of the poor who depend on the environment for subsistence. However, the global scale of today’s environmental problems, the transnational nature of resource-capitalism, and the merging of grassroots and professional activism are challenging this old dichotomy. This research compares two case studies of environmental movements, one each in India and Australia, keeping in mind historic power struggles, ecological relations and socio-economic factors influencing relations between actors involved in environmental conflicts and movement formation. It aims to answer whether movements are moving beyond the divide towards a new complexity, requiring new definitions. 

Meet the researcher: Ruchira Talukdar 

Qualifications: BA (Hons) in English Literature from University of New Delhi, Post-Graduate Diploma in Advertising and Public Relations from Indian Institute of Mass Communications, Masters in Environment from University of Melbourne 

Ruchira North South Env Movements

Ruchira Talukdar is a PhD candidate in comparative environmentalism and environmental politics at the University of Technology Sydney. Her research compares the discourses of environmental politics in developed and developing countries. Her past work experience in environmental advocacy with national and international Environmental NGOs based in India and Australia, which helped shaped her thesis topic, gives her a global perspective on how different societies deal with common challenges both politically and culturally. She is also a nature lover and never misses a chance to take a long walk in the mountains.

Email: ruchira.talukdar@student.uts.edu.au 
Supervisor: Associate Professor James Goodman