AN ASSESSMENT OF SOUTH ASIAS ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS

Environmental politics is a relatively new and evolving trend in world politics, yet it has far-reaching significance and consequences. It emerged in the 1970s, and it has completely revolutionized the global political scenario. South Asia today is much more prone to climate change and global warming than ever. Reports alarmingly suggest that cities such as Karachi, Mumbai, and Maldives are under the immediate threat of being drowned by 2050, if the sea level keeps rising due to the melting of glaciers. Environmental challenges in South Asia range from air pollution, water scarcity, land degradation, deforestation, flood, drought, cyclones, marine ecology to a comprehensive loss of biodiversity. Unfortunately, however, it seems that environmental issues are not one of the primary concerns in South Asia, for the region is still struggling to ensure the basic necessities of life and a humane society – the necessities such as food, shelter, employment, health, education, and so on.This paper assesses South Asias environmental politics. The papers findings advocate that there is a pressing need to develop and implement environmentally oriented political programs before it is too late in the region.