Faculty, researchers, and students at Duke University’s Asian/Pacific Studies Institute have been engaged with environmental questions for over two decades. These scholars are increasingly devoting attention to the environmental and climate crises and ensuing social changes that have engulfed the planet, particularly in Asia.
The United Nation’s 2022 IPCC report shows that Asia, with its tropical coastal megacities and large populations, is highly vulnerable to climate change. The continent encompasses about 30 percent of the planet’s terrestrial surface and is home to roughly 60 percent of the global population. Geologically, the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau serve as the origin for Asia’s ten largest rivers that sustain over half the world’s population. Mammoth construction projects have been reshaping ecosystems, landscapes, and the livelihood of billions of people, often leading to mass migration and widespread displacement.
Significant climatic events in the area frequently lead to major disruptions in the supply chain networks worldwide, since key production and integration centers are predominantly located in Asia.
Collaborating with local hosts, members from APSI’s global network will convene to explore how critical research practices, by scholars and others, can contribute to the collaborative effort to deepen understanding of shared environmental agendas and for pursuing a more sustainable and equitable world.
