Climate Change, Social Inequality and Environmental Justice in Contemporary British and South Asian Climate Fiction

Abstract

The crisis of climate change is now moving from being a scientific issue to a focus of current literary criticism. Environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, rising sea levels, extreme weather and ecological displacement are increasingly seen as part of the Anthropocene in twenty first century. This study explores how narratives of ecological crisis, sustainable future and environmental justice are imagined. The research employs Rob Nixon's (2011) theory of slow violence, environmental justice perspectives, postcolonial ecocriticism, and intersectionality to examine how climate narratives expose the unequal distribution of environmental risks and challenge dominant anthropocentric and neoliberal development discourses. Through qualitative textual analysis, the study demonstrates that climate fiction not only critiques the structural causes of environmental injustice but also foregrounds marginalized voices whose lived experiences remain largely absent from mainstream climate debates. The findings reveal that British climate fiction frequently emphasizes institutional failures and technological anxieties, whereas South Asian climate fiction highlights colonial legacies, poverty, displacement, and everyday struggles for survival. Despite these regional differences, both literary traditions advocate ethical responsibility, ecological solidarity, and climate justice by reimagining relationships among humans, non-human life, and the environment. This research contends that modern literature serves as a significant arena for the production of environmental knowledge, and invites readers to rethink the human-nature relationship, while also participating in interdisciplinary discussions about sustainability, climate justice and environmental ethics.