ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND SOCIOPOLITICAL LOSS: EXPLORING CLIMATE JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN AGHA SHAHID ALI'S POETRY

Abstract

This study examined the intersection of climate justice, human rights, and environmental representation in the poetry of Agha Shahid Ali, with particular focus on The Half-Inch Himalayas. While existing research has largely explored Ali’s work through themes of exile, memory, and political conflict, limited attention has been given to its ecocritical and justice-oriented dimensions. This article argued that Ali’s poetic landscapes function as sites where environmental degradation, cultural displacement, and sociopolitical violence converge, offering an early literary articulation of climate justice. Drawing on ecocritical theory and climate justice frameworks, the study analysed how natural imagery of mountains, rivers, and seasons embodies both ecological vulnerability and human suffering. The research demonstrated that environmental loss in Ali’s poetry is inseparable from the erosion of identity, memory, and human dignity, particularly within the politically contested space of Kashmir. By foregrounding the disproportionate impact of environmental and political instability on marginalised communities, the study positioned Ali’s poetry as a form of ethical testimony. Ultimately, this paper contributed to interdisciplinary debates by illustrating how literary texts can deepen understanding of climate justice as a human rights issue, expanding ecocriticism beyond representation toward questions of equity, responsibility, and global environmental ethics.