The Environmental Trap

Environmental destruction, besides being the immediate factor in fueling competition over natural resources, can also potentially lead to loss of source of living, which may result in the population migration. In this study, an attempt has been made to develop a conceptual framework of conceivable social conflicts that are more likely to develop in an environmental migration induced scarcity situation. In order to test some of the ideas of the framework, a case study was conducted in South Asia. Since 1975, India is diverting most of the dry season flow of the Ganges River at Farakka Barrage to one of her internal rivers for her own development. It has caused various environmental problems in the south-western part of Bangladesh and led to loss of the sources of living of a large number of populations.