The silent (and gendered) violence: Understanding water access in mining areas through the rights lens

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

    Abstract

    Drawing on a feminist political ecology perspective, this chapter argues that a rights-based approach to the study of mining impacts on communities must also integrate gender considerations when thinking about changes in water quality and quantity caused by large mineral extractive operations. This argument is illustrated by coal mining-induced water conflicts in eastern India, in the state of Jharkhand particularly in the North Karanpura valley where mining has rapidly advanced in the last two decades. The chapter shows that decreased water availability due to large-scale mining has impacted gender roles within the family and community. The story of jharna, a large spring, that of Agaria Tola, which is a hamlet near Pakoddih of Burugutu, told by Shanti Murmu, supports the arguments made by this chapter. It also highlights the uneven power relations between commercial actors and indigenous people, between dominating and marginalized ethnic groups, and between more powerful people and people who dispossess of their rights to land and water.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationA Political Ecology of Women, Water and Global Environmental Change
    Editors Buechler, Stephanie, and Hanson, Anne-Marie
    Place of PublicationAbingdon and New York
    PublisherRoutledge
    Pages38-57
    Edition1st
    ISBN (Print)9780415749350
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2015

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'The silent (and gendered) violence: Understanding water access in mining areas through the rights lens'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this