Animals and geopolitics in South Asian borderlands

该项目评估了动物对南亚边境地区政治的影响，这些地区面临着气候变化、物种减少和日益加剧的核国家竞争。它将利用印度与巴基斯坦、孟加拉国和尼泊尔边境的比较多物种人种学，研究动物在加强或颠覆主权国家权力方面的作用。预期成果是理解地缘政治中这些被忽视的行为者以及外交、安全和跨界保护政策之间的联系的新的分析和概念工具。这一知识在非军事化和围绕跨境动物流动的合作方面具有潜在的应用价值，有利于安全、生态系统和澳大利亚在南亚的利益。

The project evaluates the impact of animals on the politics of South Asian borderlands, which are exposed to climate change, species decline and intensifying nuclear state rivalry. Using a comparative multispecies ethnography of India’s borders with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, it will study the role of animals in reinforcing or subverting the power of sovereign states. Expected outcomes are new analytical and conceptual tools to understand these overlooked actors in geopolitics and the links between foreign, security and transboundary conservation policies. This knowledge has potential application in demilitarisation and cooperation around transborder animal flows, benefitting security, ecosystems and Australian interests in South Asia.