Appreciation of the natural environment has been an integral part of human society. Being associated with the natural environment from an identity perspective in a positive manner is what many define as environmental identity. Many see themselves as being superior to nature and yet our development and advancements are nothing in the face of an environmental disaster. This moral entitlement that the environment is ours and we will use it as it pleases us needs to go.  If we continue to tread on this path then there is no light at the end of this tunnel.

Debasement of the environment is not only due to the technological reasons but also due to the behavior shown by humans towards their natural environment. People, nowadays, see everything, including the environment, from a pecuniary angle, which is not correct as its value is immeasurable in monetary terms. In order to understand environmental identity, one has to first understand the linkage between environment and identity.

Environmental identity: A South Asian perspective

South Asia is an extremely environmentally sensitive region and has a common environmental identity which is transboundary by nature. This is evident from the culture, traditions, and customs that are being followed in the region. And yet due to the transitory nature of the natural environment, the linkages between environment and identity are deteriorating in the region and thus serve as a bitter-sweet memory to those who long for the glorious past. 

In South Asia, the protection of the environment is the basis of environmental identity. This is very much evident from the fact that the conservation of the environment in ancient India was the central point of everybody’s faith and was further exemplified through the propagation of stories, arts, culture, and religion. Similarly, laws underlining the conservation and protection of the forest reserves, wildlife are found throughout ancient Indian texts which led to the formation of a common environmental identity in the region wherein the protection of the environment is not only the duty of the ruler but also of those who are under his/her rule.

The common environmental identity has persisted in medieval as well as modern times. Campaigns like the Chipko Movement (1973), Appiko Movement (1983), etc. in India  show, according to renowned environment activist Vandana Shiva, the union between spirituality and ecology thus embodying a respect towards nature which is inherent in Indian spiritual thought and religious practices.

Similarly, in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, environmental identity has existed for millennia. In a 2016 TED Talk, then Bhutanese prime minister Tshering Tobgay stated the leaders have balanced development and environmental sustainability. In Buddhism, the state religion, the Bhutanese show reverence to the natural environment, a precept that is enshrined in the constitution of Bhutan. The constitution  mandates that 60 percent of the landmass be maintained and protected as forests. In order to promote its environmental identity, the Bhutanese have incorporated the environment into their Gross National Happiness (GNH) policy. 

The GNH is a multidimensional policy which includes ecological resilience and diversity and works on various ecological issues in order to promote sustainable development and thus leading to a common Bhutanese environmental identity. This is further strengthened by the fact that Bhutan has decided to opt out of the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicle Agreement (BBIN-MVA) which is deemed as a threat to its pristine environment.

Environment plays an important role in transporting individuals together with a mutual determination, with collective formalities and indebtedness. By imbibing an environmental identity people come together to be a part of something that is bigger than themselves. The environment serves as an enabler of a country's identity formation process, especially as the example of a tiny country like Bhutan shows. 

(The writer is a Ph.D. Research Scholar in Political Science in Amity Institute of Social Sciences, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.  He can be contacted at simmaksushant@gmail.com)