Presentation short abstract

This study uses a political ecology and justice lens to examine how the Matarbari coal project reshaped coastal space through dispossession, exclusion, and undervaluation of land, and shows how local resistance highlights the need for people-centred, accountable coastal governance.

Presentation long abstract

Mega development projects along amrine and coastal zones are accelerating across global south, yet critical research on blue justice at the land-ocean interface remain limited, particularly in Bangladesh. This study applies a political ecology and justice lens to examine the Matarbari Coal Fired Power Plant, one of Bangladesh’s most consequential coastal mega projects and the multiple injustice it has generated. Drawing on qualitative data from semi structured interviews an secondary sources, the analysis reveals how state and corporate actors leveraged their political and institutional power to reshape coastal space in ways that marginalized coastal communities. Core justice concerns include the lack of transparency preceding alnd acquisition, the systematic exclusion of fishers and farmers from decision making and the undervaluation of land that failed to reflect the social, cultural and livelihood importance. Together, these dynamics reflect classic political ecology patterns i.e enclosure of commons, dispossesion through bureaucratic and legal instruments and the redistribution of benefits upwards while risks are borne locally. Resistance to the coal fired power plant emerged as a critical coterforce. These struggles empahsized the centrality of recognition, participation and equitable outcomes within blue justice frameworks. The study concludes that addressing such injsutcies requires substantially strengthened governance arrangements, including people centered legislation, adherence to international best practices for resttlement and impact assessment and early meaningful engagement with those whose lives and territories are most affected.