International Conference on "Precarious Wetlands in Anthropocene: Representations in Literature, Cinema and Media"

Conference Date: 12-13 December 2024 (Virtual)

Organised by: School of Liberal Arts and Humanities & CoE-Literature Studies, Woxsen University, Hyderabad, India

Concept Note

The Ramsar Convention (1971) defines wetlands as "areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water where the depth at low tide does not exceed six meters." In the Anthropocene, human activities pose an existential threat to wetland ecosystems. The fragile state of wetlands endangers numerous species that depend on these habitats, as well as human populations who rely heavily on wetland resources.

Wetlands act as carbon sinks and provide essential habitats for a wide range of species, including birds, mammals, and reptiles. Also, they play critical roles, such as maintaining high and stable water tables during dry seasons, mitigating floods during periods of heavy rainfall, and serving as key feeding and breeding grounds for wildlife, particularly waterfowl. As Annie Proulx (2022) noted, many wetland species harbor viruses, but human interference has jeopardized and displaced numerous species, increasing the vulnerability of Asian countries to pandemics and zoonotic diseases.

According to the Global Wetland Outlook (2021), 90% of the world’s wetlands have experienced degradation over the centuries, with a 35% loss since the 1970s—a rate three times faster than deforestation. To address this crisis, Sustainable Development Goal 6.6 calls for the protection and restoration of water-related ecosystems, including wetlands, mountains, forests, rivers, aquifers, and lakes (SDG 2015). This highlights the urgent need for coordinated efforts to halt and reverse the decline of these vital ecosystems.

In this urgent context, the representation of wetlands in literature, cinema, and media provides a powerful space for reimagining our relationship with these ecosystems. By invoking imagination, memory, and nostalgia, these narratives offer more than mere environmental awareness—they foster emotional and imaginative engagement with wetlands as spaces of cultural and community engagement, and ecological harmony. Through symbolic depictions, storytelling, and visual representations, they transport us into a past where wetlands were sources of life, beauty, and sustenance, and call upon us to reconnect with that legacy.

In literature, for example, wetlands are often depicted as mystical and liminal spaces, where human and natural worlds intersect, sparking imaginative reflection on humanity’s role within nature. Cinema and media can evoke nostalgia for a lost ecological past, reminding us of the harmony that once existed between humans and wetlands, while urging creative solutions for their future restoration. Such representations encourage viewers and readers to imagine new possibilities for living in balance with these fragile ecosystems.

Objective

This conference aims to bring together scholars, professionals, activists, and researchers from various artistic disciplines to explore how narratives of wetlands in various cultural forms can inspire imaginative play, foster deeper emotional connections, and contribute to rethinking our cultural engagement with wetlands. By fostering an interdisciplinary dialogue, the conference aims to address the challenges wetlands face in the Anthropocene and promote the exchange of innovative ideas to cultivate a more harmonious relationship with these ecosystems. The focus is on raising awareness and advocating for the protection and restoration of wetlands.

Call for Papers/Abstracts

We welcome papers addressing the following themes/topics, but not limited to –

Ecoprecarity and Wetlands
Imagination, Creativity, and Wetlands
Memory, Trauma, and wetlands
Human Well-being, and Wetlands
Wetlands and Eco-justice
Class, Gender, Sexuality, and Ecoprecarity
Social and Cultural Practices, and Wetlands
Religious and Spiritual Practices, and Wetlands
Urban Planning, Sustainability and Wetlands
Politics, Public Policy, and Wetlands
Environmental Aesthetics, and Wetlands
Please submit an abstract (approx. 250 words) and a brief bio-note (100 words) to pankajkumar.verma@woxsen.edu.in & antarleena.basu@woxsen.edu.in by 25 October 2024.

Note: Select papers will be published in an edited volume by a reputed/Scopus-indexed publication.

Important Dates

Abstract Submission: 25th October 2024
Acceptance/Rejection Status: 1st November 2024
Full Paper Submission: 1st December 2024
Registration Deadline: 15th November
Registration fee for Presenters

Faculty: 1500 Rs

Researcher: 1000 Rs

International Participants: 100 USD

Keynote Speakers:

Prof. Pramod K. Nayar,

UNESCO Chair in Vulnerability Studies, Department of English, University of Hyderabad

&

Prof. Swarnalatha Rangarajan

Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Madras

Contact Information
Dr. Pankaj Kumar Verma, Assistant Professor, Woxsen University (Convenor), pankajkumar.verma@woxsen.edu.in

Dr. Antarleena Basu, Assistant Professor, Woxsen University (Co-convenor), antarleena.basu@woxsen.edu.in