Farhana Sultana, professor of geography and the environment, recently gave the keynote address for a virtual film series launched by the Royal Geographical Society as part of London Climate Action Week. 

In her message for the Voices from the Global South film series, Sultana discussed the impacts of climate change on the Global North and Global South, and the importance of geographical knowledge for understanding these impacts. She stressed how climate has political, cultural and social dimensions and creates inequities for marginalized communities. 

“Local voices and concerns, especially from the Global South frontlines of climate breakdown, are not always heard at global levels,” she said. “Global South countries without power and influence over climate change debates means there is chronic under-representation in all contexts, such as international policymaking, negotiations, discussions, knowledge production, and so on. They can, when supported however, help to create more equitable and justice-oriented outcomes for the world’s marginalized populations facing the brunt of the climate crisis they did not create.”

Sultana also emphasized the importance of films, educational resources, programming and dedication to challenge and confront climate coloniality—a term that describes how hierarchical imbalances of power created during the colonial period are reflected in ongoing forms of neocolonialism fueled by global market systems.

“The overall message is that listening to and acting on a range of voices and knowledges drawn from academia, policy and Indigenous groups across the Global South is crucial to addressing the climate crisis,” she said.  

Her remarks and the films were shared online via OpenLearn, a free and accessible platform, using an interactive map displaying the videos. The short films, roughly 15 minutes each, are intended to stimulate thoughtful reflection on how geography can help us better understand the impact of the climate crisis and the value in recognizing geographical contexts, voices and experiences. 

The Institute of British Geographers and the International Geographical Union supported The Royal Geographical Society in creating the film series. 

Founded in 2019, London Climate Action Week is an annual festival that brings together individuals, organizations and communities in hosting a diverse range of events and collaborations with a focus on finding global solutions to climate change.

Sultana is a senior research associate for the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) and the South Asia Center. She is also the research director for environmental conflict and collaboration research area in PARCC. She specializes in political ecology, water governance, climate justice, international development and sustainability. 

By Mikayla Melo