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Tackling Air Pollution in the World’s Most Polluted City

This research project (2021-2024) examines the potential of participatory approaches to storytelling in tackling the catastrophic challenge of urban air pollution confronting India. The study has a focus on New Delhi, the world’s most polluted city, and is specifically designed to explore the possibilities and challenges generated by the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to environmental advocacy.

The project draws on the fields of media studies, environmental humanities, social movement studies and documentary film practice to propose a collaborative process of co-producing new stories around air pollution. The study envisions an ethically sound and context-specific filmmaking collaboration between grassroots environmental research and advocacy organizations and local documentary filmmakers facilitated by the research team.

The project team is led by Dr Pawas Bisht (Keele University, UK) and includes Dr Eva Giraud (University of Sheffield, UK) and Dr Sabina Kidwai (Jamia Millia Islamia, India).

The project is funded by the British Academy’s Humanities and Social Sciences’ Tackling Global Challenges Programme, supported under the UK Government’s Global Challenges Research Fund.

Discover more about the different strands of the project.