Disaster Diplomacy : A Case Study of Pakistan and India

Abstract

Asia is the continent with the greatest share of disasters, hence increasing the vulnerability of the masses of the region. The vulnerability of these vulnerable masses is ought to be decreased, and one of the method which can be brought into the practice to decrease the vulnerability is cooperating in the disaster related activities. This very concept of cooperation in disaster related activities is termed “disaster diplomacy”, this concept explores and explains; why and how the activities related to disaster; disaster risk reduction and disaster response do and have potential to resolve the difference between states. The main question examined in the research is: what are the prospects of disaster diplomacy between rival states, especially between Pakistan and India. India and Pakistan, both came into being in 1947, since that time the relation between these two states had been rough. On Kashmir alone, both states have fought 4 wars. Greece and Turkey had same issues among them over Cyprus. Back in 1999, both states were hit by earthquakes one after another, in the post disaster phase, both states who were rivals to each other, helped each other and minimized their differences. First part of the dissertation discusses and explains the case studies of Aceh and Sri Lanka in post-Tsunami scenario followed by theorization of the concept of disaster diplomacy. Two track diplomacy is the concept of which has mainstreamed both types of diplomacies, formal diplomacy, in which only civil servants/diplomats are involved in negotiations, but the modern concept includes and indulges celebrities, scientists, academicians, sportsmen etc. in the negotiations as well. In the lateral part of the research work, prospects of disaster diplomacy pertaining to climate change between Pakistan and India has been discussed, and finally, the required cooperation in the counter terrorism activities have been discussed. Based on the successful case studies of cooperation in counter terrorism activities and climate change in the region of South Asia, it has been inferred that the cooperation is possible and is the need of the hour too, but at the same time, disaster diplomacy can only help to catalyze the improving relations, especially in the case of Pakistan and India.