Decolonising Environmental Health: An Inward-Looking Anti(Caste) Framework

While environmental hazards are considered natural, environmental vulnerabilities are created and reinforced in society through pre-existing structures of power and privilege. I examine South Asian experiences, strategies, and practices related to environmental health. Drawing on decolonial theory, I critique the dominant health paradigm and its first world ‘white focus’ and discuss how creating health equity relies on breaking down power structures that sustain inequalities. My research discusses how caste disenfranchises marginalised people from participating in decision-making that would directly impact their environmental well-being. Specifically, I will dwell on the experiences of caste-marginalised communities and their acceptance, adoption, assimilation, rejection, and resistance to health decisions within the changing ecology of the area. Through focussing on caste inequalities and other socio-cultural realities that shape the health outcomes of individuals and communities within South Asia, I not only critique the first-world narratives of environmental health but further challenge the dominant narratives within South Asia, which mostly emerge from a privileged caste positionality. Consequently, this research highlights the importance of recognising Indigenous knowledge systems and the agency of marginalised communities in their healthcare decisions. Therefore, I argue for an ‘inward-looking’ South-Asian perspective to conceptualise environmental health as a response to the disproportionate impact on marginalised populations.

Through adopting a narrative-ethnographic approach, the study delves into the concept of resilience to understand how caste marginalised communities in South Asia adapt and respond to health challenges, highlighting the importance of adaptive capacity and community empowerment. Finally, it considers the multidimensional nature of well-being, emphasising the need for a holistic approach that integrates caste dimensions of health in the South Asian context. Overall, this chapter contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between environmental health and the social realities in South Asia, offering theoretical and practical insights for understanding environmental health outcomes in the region.