Ecophenomenology and the Environmental Crisis in the Sundarbans: Towards a Community-Based Ethic

— —

Kalpita Bhar Paul

Ecophenomenology and the Environmental Crisis in the Sundarbans

Towards a Community-Based Ethic

Kalpita Bhar Paul

$284

Hardback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

QTY:

English

Routledge
16 August 2024

Regional studies; Christianity; Regional geography; Environmentalist thought & ideology; Applied ecology

Series: Routledge Explorations in Environmental Studies

"This book offers a philosophical analysis of the environmental crisis in the Indian Sundarbans, drawing upon phenomenological narratives. It nuances the present understanding of the crisis by introducing plurality in our metaphysical understanding of the environment and epistemological understanding of the human–environment relationship.

Contemporary research on the Sundarbans mainly focuses on the impending threat of climate change, natural disasters, as well as increasing human–animal conflict, conservation, and forest access debates, while scholarly works have mostly used environmental impact assessments to offer technocratic solutions that prioritize a particular type of human–environment relationship characterized by an ""anticipation of ruin."" Rather than rushing to find solutions, I embark on a journey to unpack the meaning of crisis through phenomenological narratives of human–environment relationships. A deep dive into the human–environment relationship through an intentional engagement with the work-worlds of islanders, the formation of a more-than-human community is revealed, giving rise to community-based ethic that transcends the poverty of thought and imagination in comprehending the crisis of the Indian Sundarbans. This new ethical framework emphasizes the co-emergence of self-consciousness and eco-consciousness, serving as a moral impetus for individuals to act ethically towards the environment. This approach impels us to rethink what the Sundarbans is, how the crisis gets manifested to the inlanders and outsiders, and what kind of procedural changes are required to protect the Sundarbans as a living ecosystem instead of a natural museum.

The book’s phenomenological depth and engaged philosophical framework will elicit deep interest from within academia and among practitioners who are working in environmental studies, philosophy, human ecology, and island studies. The convergence of conceptual understandings and field narratives will also draw the interest of research students working in correlated fields."

By: Kalpita Bhar Paul
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781032560557
ISBN 10: 103256055X
Series: Routledge Explorations in Environmental Studies
Pages: 176
Publication Date: 16 August 2024
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Kalpita Bhar Paul is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at BML Munjal University, India. She began her career as an NGDO practitioner and then joined academia to bring her field experience to academic scholarship. Her work has been widely published in international journals and edited volumes, and she is an associate editor of the Environmental Values Journal.