Deakin University's A/Prof Yamini Narayanan has secured nearly $1 million in funding under the 2023 Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowships scheme.
Dr. Narayanan's project will examine how animals impact politics in South Asian borderlands facing climate change, species decline, and nuclear rivalry.
Using a comparative multispecies ethnography of India’s borders with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, it will study the role of animals in reinforcing or subverting the power of sovereign states.
Expected outcomes are new analytical and conceptual tools to understand these overlooked actors in geopolitics and the links between foreign, security and transboundary conservation policies.
This knowledge has potential application in demilitarisation and cooperation around transborder animal flows, benefitting security, ecosystems and Australian interests in South Asia.
The Future Fellowships scheme facilitates research excellence by supporting outstanding mid-career researchers to undertake high quality research in areas of national and international benefit.
Photo: Deakin University
