CLIMATE-INDUCED RELOCATION AND CULTURAL LOSS: PHENOMENOLOGICAL ACCOUNTS FROM COASTAL BADIN

Abstract

This paper reviews the role of SSM in participatory research through a local case study on vulnerable coast communities from Badin Pakistan that have been displaced after climate related environmental changes. These relocations are due to rising sea levels, coastal erosion and the salinization of arable land, driving local populations away and with them losing their cultural traditions. Applying a phenomenological approach, this study explores the lived experiences among these displaced people and shows how environmental degradation intersects with cultural loss. The objective of the study is to examine the impact of climate-induced displacement on communities and their social and cultural structure in coastal Badin. The authors used a mixed-methods data collection approach: 40 in-depth interviews with affected persons and a survey of 2,000 community members. One of the key conclusions is that displaced communities are not only dealing with economic difficulties, but most importantly they have been suffering the dismantling of their cultural identity. This research highlights that culturally informed policies will be crucial if we are to manage this not only with respect to the physical resettlement of these communities but also for managing their cultural futures. The research notes that climate related displacement is more than environmental in the making but deeply cultural and social, needing integrated policy approaches.

Keywords: climate-induced relocation, cultural loss, phenomenology, coastal Badin, displacement, cultural heritage, climate adaptation.