Ethnic Identity, Salience of Politics, and Democratic Participation

How does ethnic identity influence the role of politics for individuals who are vulnerable to environmental stressors of climate change in coastal India? We study this research question in the context of two ethnic groups: one Scheduled Tribe group that is a minority, and one non-tribe group that is a majority, in the Sundarbans of West Bengal, in India. In particular, we assess the salience of politics and political participation in democratic governance of the two groups in the context of climate stressors through survey data and a mixed-methods strategy. We find that politics is more salient for the non-tribe group than for the Scheduled Tribe group. However, there is no difference in political participation between the two groups. We provide insight into these findings and discuss their implications in the context of challenges associated with climate change.