Climate Change Fiction in Natural Resource Management: A Study on Amitav Ghosh's The Hungry Tide

Abstract

This paper addresses the role of climate change fictions in addressing natural resources management. With the ongoing growth of population and industrialization, the natural environment is undergoing changes. These changes usually bring about different catastrophes like cyclone, flood, draught etc. As a result, the balance of the biosphere is at stake. Fictionists contribute in this regard writing climate change fictions through which they are able to make readers aware of how to take part in the management of nature and natural resources. Amitav Ghosh in The Hungry Tide (2004) navigates the intricate web of human-nature relationships in the Sundarbans. Through the lens of Kanai, Piya, Fakir and Horen, he skillfully explores the complex interplay between Sundarbans’ unique ecosystem and the local inhabitants. Following a qualitative approach, this paper uses the techniques of narrative persuasion and the philosophical thoughts of Buell and Clark to show why natural resources management matters in human settlement. The findings of the study suggest that the Sundarbans functions both as a backdrop and a central character in The Hungry Tide symbolizing the subtle balance between nature and human existence. Besides, the ecological and sociocultural dimensions of the Sundarbans showcase environmental degradation, displacement, and the clash between traditional knowledge and modernity. Moreover, it echoes an appeal for the urgency of sustainable coexistence between humanity and the natural world. Thus, this paper illuminates how The Hungry Tide sets an example of ‘why and how’ the inhabitants near the Sundarbans suffer for the destructions of natural resources and environment.