South Asian Climate Transnationalism: Beyond Diasporic Humanitarianism

South Asia is currently on the front line of the global climate emergency, with the region experiencing increasing, devastating crises resulting from climate change and ‘climate coloniality’ (Sultana, 2022). This article, drawing upon original qualitative research, explores the relationship between the South Asian diaspora and climate action within South Asia. We introduce and chart the nature and dynamics of contemporary South Asian climate transnationalism and suggest that this significant contemporary phenomenon has been hitherto unrecognised within South Asian migration, diaspora and transnational studies. It is further argued that concepts utilised within the existing literature on the diaspora-climate action nexus, such as ‘diaspora humanitarianism’ and ‘intensive transnationalism’, do not adequately capture the nature, significance, diversity, scale and ever-presence of contemporary South Asian transnational diasporic climate action in the face of the unending plethora of crises precipitated by climate change. We also contend that while South Asian religions do play a significant role in motivating some of the ever-present diasporic climate action studied, much of this activity is also guided by environmental rationalities, and articulations of climate coloniality and climate justice, which both cut across and exist independently of South Asian religious beliefs and attachments.