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- Convenors:
-
Shailaja Fennell
(University of Cambridge)
Elisapeththu Hoole (University of Cambridge)
Send message to Convenors
- Chair:
-
Shailaja Fennell
(University of Cambridge)
- Format:
- Paper panel
- Stream:
- Climate emergency and development
- Location:
- G51a
- Sessions:
- Thursday 27 June, -, -
Time zone: Europe/London
Short Abstract:
International fora that can identify interdependencies between rich countries and the Global South could encourage principles of fairness that will ensure social justice. This panel invites papers to ‘deconstruct’ existing production practices and engage with solidarity building between countries.
Long Abstract:
The core principle for global social justice must have one core value at its heart and that’s doing no harm: whatever interventions we make must ensure that people in the poorest countries and communities are not worse off than they were before.
In this context, this panel argues that fundamental change in global production systems is urgently necessary: where industrial agriculture is responsible for 25% of carbon emissions globally and the food system is responsible for 60% of biodiversity loss. It points to the need to restore broken food systems – despite the growing recognition of their role as a source of and solution to climate change – yet not prominently featured on COP agendas. It also addresses the challenge of changing the political agenda at international fora: the loss and damage facility approved at COP 27 in 2022, but rich polluting countries continue to obstruct a functional and fully funded loss and damage fund to compensate communities who have already lost their homes and livelihoods from floods and droughts.
We invite papers that engage with methods that ‘deconstruct’ the unsustainable food production and distribution practices that operate in the Global North. The panel also encourages papers that overlay economic and social analysis to reveal why reparations in the field of climate justice have been opposed by rich countries. We also encourage contributions that use novel methods to engage with how debates on decolonisation and racial capitalism could identify interdependencies that bring about solidarity between rich countries and developing countries.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Thursday 27 June, 2024, -Olaiwola Ogunpaimo (University of Galway) Oyinlola Ogunpaimo (Teagasc Irish Development Authority)
Paper short abstract:
The interplay between social justice and global development is essential for building an equitable world. Our paper explores the importance of addressing social justice issues in the context of global development, highlighting the need for inclusive, sustainable, and equitable solutions.
Paper long abstract:
Despite the perceived influence of social justice in global development, it is surprising to note that the rich-to-poor gap continues to widen, stifling opportunities for millions of people, and increasing the global poverty index. We assert that a continued synergy between social justice and global development could provide a path toward a more harmonious future. Addressing issues such as economic inequality, sustainability, empowerment, education, and global cooperation can create an egalitarian world where all individuals have an equal shot at a brighter and more prosperous future. We believe that embracing these principles is not a matter of choice; but imperative, if individuals hope to heal the divisions in our polarizing world. To extend understanding, our paper addresses ;
How is globalization helping or hindering social justice and global development; and what are the pros and cons of global economic integration?
''In a changing world, how can social justice and global development strategies adapt to new and emerging challenges, such as pandemics, migration, and climate crises? within the context of climate justice''
The proposers seek to extend knowledge on these inquiries and suggest ways/approaches on how addressing these questions can foster global peace and development.
Shailaja Fennell (University of Cambridge)
Paper short abstract:
Collective action fails due to very high transaction costs: countries prefer to engage with those that have similar production systems. They are unwilling to address costs to countries whose systems are very different -this nation level homophily is an obstacle to international treaties.
Paper long abstract:
The lack of trust within a community is regarded as the primary reason for low levels of collective action is itself antithetical to solving the climate crisis. Moving towards a multi-scalar analysis creates the potential for analysing both how information regarding climate change is understood by local and national communities as well as how to learning how external actors can provide climate interventions to communities that are negatively affected by the impact of the climate crisis.
Within the context of this climate crisis, worsening conditions in the natural world result in a greater sense of economic insecurity in national economies. While there are opportunities to manage natural resources more effectively that are provided by new technological advances, these appear to benefit some groups while other communities are exposed to greater risks. However, nations become pitted against each other and there is no explicit recognition of costs to losers. Equally, there is a lack of understanding at global fora: particularly of knowledge within these communities that is crucial for the successful adoption of sustainable production systems. Instead of taking up the new opportunities provided by new technologies, rich countries follow the actions of other countries at a similar level of production- the phenomenon of homophily (McPherson et. al. 2001). This paper addresses the reasons that promote a preference for homophily over the selection of plural solutions, and how it continues to pose an obstacle to achieving agreement on costs of redressing the damages imposed by climate change on the poorest countries.
Antoinette Nestor (University of Cambridge) Kazi Hoque (Friendship (ngo))
Paper short abstract:
Bangladesh faces severe climate impacts due to its low-lying terrain, dense population, and poverty. Common challenges include loss of shelter, crops, assets, and livestock, along with limited access to health, education, and financial services. Ecosystem services offer a crucial solution.
Paper long abstract:
Bangladesh is one of the largest deltas in the world and is highly vulnerable to climate-induced disasters because of its geographic location, population density, poverty, and lack of context-specific resources. The recent climate-induced disasters are very unpredictable and cause extreme suffering. The frequent river erosion, drought, cold waves, and floods in northern parts and salinity, storm/tidal surge, and sea level rising in southern coastal areas are frequent threats. Bangladesh has a wide diversity of ecosystems including the world's largest mangrove forests in the south, which is historically instrumental for saving lives, protecting assets, and enhancing livelihood.
In this complex setting requiring a triple joint action on environment, socio-economy (including legal approaches), and disaster resilience, Friendship has developed a mangrove restoration program. The model is participative (intensive community engagement) and integrated (tripartite involvement: NGO, communities, local authorities). This integrated adaptation solution implemented by Friendship around the mangrove’s afforestation provides different options (protection of infrastructure, community-based disaster risk reduction, access to social safety net, livelihood diversification, etc.) to reduce the risks of future losses and damages for the local communities. A Midterm evaluation (MTE) was conducted in November 2023 to determine if an intervention is still relevant and how far it has progressed toward its goals. The midterm survey of the Mangrove Plantation for Ecosystem & Community Resilience in Coastal Bangladesh revealed that mangroves are one of the potential nature-based solutions for diversifying and improving the lifestyle and livelihoods of the natural resource-depended communities, shifting the ecosystem dynamics.
Oluseyi Ajayeoba (Federal Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation)
Paper short abstract:
This paper contributes to literature on the nexus between Social Justice and Sustainable development Goals in the rich countries and poor countries, the polarization situation, and how science diplomacy can work out depolarization and trans- development from the rich and the poor countries.
Paper long abstract:
According to the United Nations, Social justice is based on the values of fairness, equality, respect for diversity, access to social protection, and the application of human rights in all areas of life, which is the exact opposite of the effects of global polarization. The SDG 16, which is about promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels is an index used to check the rate of development in countries, while the rich countries are on the top 10 list of the SDG index, while the poor countries are on the least of the index would be linked effects of polarization such as political instability, inequality, and institutional oppression to mention a few. While Science diplomacy in one of its definition by the European Union is the use of science as a soft power to advance diplomatic objectives, e.g. for building bridges between nations and creating goodwill on which diplomatic relations can be built. This paper will examine some of the Sustainable Development Goals related to Social Justice and how it has worked in the rich countries hence the need for building a bridge between the rich and the poor countries through Science Diplomacy thereby bringing about depolarization.
Nazneen Khan (University of Cambridge)
Paper long abstract:
Abstract:
Access to safe and dignified menstruation is a fundamental need for women and girls. A growing evidence base from low and middle-income countries shows that many girls are not able to manage their Menstrual Health (MH) and associated hygiene with ease and dignity. This deprivation is even more acute for girls and women in emergencies especially during any kind of natural disaster. These girls and women cannot practice good menstrual health and hygiene at home, at school, at work or in other public settings, due to a combination of discriminatory social environments, inaccurate information, poor hygiene facilities. Young females were taught by the family to suppress their needs to speak about it despite it being their human rights. Gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights (and climate change issues are inextricably linked. South-west coastal regions are known as climate change hotspots in Bangladesh. While climate change impacts all genders, girls and women face heightened vulnerability to the effects of climate change as their reproductive health also gets affected by poor facilities and access to other infrastructure. To procure appropriate menstrual hygiene materials for women and girls in both development and emergency contexts, it is important to understand the potential advantages and health benefit of those hygiene products in different contexts. RHM specific education will teach and develop skills of the young girls and females to better respond to their rights and build awareness and confidence
Umesh Kumar (O P Jindal Global University)
Paper short abstract:
The Buddhist approach of ecology, development and production can provide an alternative to the dominant approaches and teach us the inherent interdependent nature of universe, societies and individuals.
Paper long abstract:
Ecodhamma: A Buddhist Theory of Ecology and an Alternative Approach
for Production
Dr. Umesh Kumar
Assistant Professor
Jindal School of International Affairs, O. P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India
Email: umesh.bbauk@gmail.com
Abstract: The existing production practices across the globe are based on approaches
invented during colonial period. These dominant approaches are based on deep-rooted
injustice, exploitation, oppression and promoting self-interest at the cost of environmental
degradation. Through colonial practices and undemocratic process of globalisation in post-
colonial period, these approaches have been transferred to global south. The approaches of
development created and practiced in the global south in antiquity were suppressed by
dominant Western forces and the derivative character of national political elites across the
global south. In the current scenario, it is being accepted that the dominant Western narratives
have failed to evolve a solution to the environmental crisis. Therefore, perspectives from the
global south become relevant. The paper attempts to find out the conceptual and theoretical
framework and claims of Buddhist theory of ecology and compare it with western and
dominant narratives. The theory of emptiness and impermanence in Buddhism sees individual
as an ‘embedded self’ not just with society or community but nature. In the context of the
increasing significance of Ecodhamma as a Buddhist theory of deep ecology, the paper tries
to categorise and critically evaluate different concepts associated with Ecodhamma and seek
the possibilities of evolving an alternative for production.
Keywords: Ecodhamma, Environment, Ecology, Emptiness, Interdependence.
Elisapeththu Hoole (University of Cambridge) Sharjana Karunakaran (Jaffna College Institute of Agriculture)
Paper short abstract:
This paper explores the linkages between climate justice, food security and reparation through the experiences of women farmers in Jaffna, a Northern dry zone area of Sri Lanka. It argues that reparations is essential for a just and secure transition to sustainable food production.
Paper long abstract:
Centuries of industrialisation in the West has created planet no longer safe for low-income communities in the Global South. Increasing climate risks and the interconnectedness of risks is disrupting food production and is expected to increase the number of food insecure people by 183-million in the next 15-years. Sustainable food systems reduce GHG-emissions, while increasing the resilience of food systems and ensuring food security. However, sustainable transitions in food production systems are often costly, requiring new capital investments, capacity training and incentives for farmers. Investing in transitions can be unaffordable to low-income farmers and developing countries who must weigh the allocation of scarce resources against development and security objectives.
This paper explores links between climate justice, food security and reparation through the experiences of women farmers in Jaffna. With increasing ambient temperatures, UV radiation and decreasing humidity, Jaffna is expected to experience some of the highest declines in living standards in South Asia. Under such scenarios, outdoor workers and food systems are likely to experience significant threats to production which are amplified by the repercussive nature of climate risks. The burden of adapting food systems to the threats of climate change and the goals of the Paris Agreement falls on farmers who lack the capital to effectively adapt to emerging risks. This paper argues that reparations through the loss and damage fund is a critical component of climate justice for women farmers for ensuring short term adaptation gains and for repairing climate systems ravaged by the pollution of industrialized nations.
Satish Kumar (Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India) Krishnan Narayanan (Indian Institute of Technology Bombay)
Paper short abstract:
I will address the potential measures to tackle the nutritional food security of rural households via diversifying agricultural production. The proposed research employs the farming system lens to scrutinise the intricate relationships between production and consumption in a semi-arid climate.
Paper long abstract:
Food insecurity and undernutrition persist as crucial challenges in Indian agriculture despite substantial growth in food production over the past decades. Although India has achieved national-level food security, household and intra-household food insecurity bother the policymakers. The concern becomes considerably daunting when 50% of the workforce depends on agriculture for consumption. Due to the high dependence on agriculture, diversifying the crop and livestock production would be a cost-efficient strategy to improve dietary diversity for improved nutrition. In this context, the study examines the impacts of agricultural diversification on dietary diversity in rain-fed and irrigated farming systems.
The study employs a quantitative and qualitative approach to understand the complexity of farming decisions for household consumption and market production in rain-fed and irrigated farming systems. The study used cross-sectional, semi-structured, in-depth household-level surveys to interview 442 households in four villages of the Akole block, Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, India, followed by qualitative interviews.
The findings suggest that agricultural production and dietary diversity interplay differently in different farming systems; rainfed systems have a higher value than irrigated ones. In addition, the role of the market is more detrimental to production and consumption decisions in irrigated farming systems than in rain-fed market systems. The relationship is supplemented by technological adoption, adding better technological augmentation that positively affects production-consumption decisions. The market influence on the consumption relationship reflects that derived income from agriculture has a better role in consumption choices. However, the landholding size and irrigation resources access affect the production-consumption decision differently.