populated areas, poverty and land capture.106 Journalists and activists
have, for some time, been ringing the alarm on the privatization of
water resources, forest-land, and natural gas reserves.107 This is deeply
intertwined with the rise of far-right ideologies that seek to consolidate
power through control of these vital resources.
In the last few years, incidents arising from climate change include the
2022 floods in Pakistan (where the impact is ongoing108); cyclones;
coastal erosion and flooding in Sri Lanka;109 the 2022 floods in the
northeast of India, such as in the state of Assam, which led to flashfloods in Bangladesh in 2022;110 and the recent extreme heatwave
in several countries in Southeast Asia. These incidents have a
disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities (e.g., people with
disabilities, older persons111). In Afghanistan, total political and economic
collapse are exacerbated by the ongoing severe effects of climate
change, resulting in droughts and other disasters,112 where around 60
percent of the population relies on rain-fed agriculture.113
THE RISE OF ECOFASCISM
IN MODI’S INDIA
Once shunned for his role in the 2002 Gujarat pogrom, Modi has
now rebranded himself as a “green” leader, paradoxically earning
accolades like the United Nations “Champion of the Earth.” Yet, behind
this lies a different reality: Modi’s government continues to suppress
environmental activists, violently displace Indigenous communities, and
host international summits in militarized zones like Kashmir – all under
the guise of environmentalism. This is ecofascism – where environmental
rhetoric is weaponized to advance supremacist and genocidal agendas,
echoing fascist practices of the past.114
106
Ibid.
107
The Economic Times. (2010). Natural resources are not private property. The Economic Times, 10 May. https://
economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/et-editorial/natural-resources-not-private-property/articleshow/5905471.cms?from=mdr
108
Akbar, M. (2023). Over a year after Pakistan floods, survivors battle climate anxiety. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/10/24/photos-over-a-year-after-pakistan-floods-survivors-battle-climate-anxiety
109
Al Jazeera. (2023). Sri Lankan fishers suffer as coastal erosion destroys homes. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.
com/gallery/2023/6/27/sri-lankan-fishers-suffer-as-coastal-erosion-destroys-homes
110
Gupta, S. & Mogul, R. (2022). Millions affected after deadly floods hit India and Bangladesh. CNN. https://www.
cnn.com/2022/06/22/india/bangladesh-india-floods-death-toll-intl-hnk/index.html
111
Human Rights Watch. (2023). Bangladesh: Protect People Most At Risk During Monsoon Season. Human Rights
Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/06/19/bangladesh-protect-people-most-risk-during-monsoon-season
112
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. (2023). Afghanistan: The alarming effects of
climate change. UNOCHA. https://www.unocha.org/news/afghanistan-alarming-effects-climate-change
113
Ibid.
114
Truthout. “Ecofascism Is a Rising Threat. We Should Take Modi’s Ascendance as a Warning.” Truthout, https://
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