05 Apr Aftermath: The Second Flood
The Second Flood is a documentary film which narrates the story of an Indigenous community inhabiting the Nicobar Islands after being devastated by the 2004 Tsunami. The Nicobar Islands, a remote archipelago in the Bay of Bengal (India), is home to rich cultural-and-biological diversity. Hence, entry to these islands has been highly restricted since 1956.
The documentary, which has generated a fair bit of attention, focuses on the controversial impact of development and humanitarian aid in light of increasing extreme weather events occurring globally. Instead of succumbing to the pressures of globalization and international aid, the Nicobarese community in the aftermath search for a sustainable future to protect their culture and natural resources from “the second flood” (that is aid and economic interests). The film asks two questions: Why is aid so dysfunctional, and how can science help people in crisis? Produced over 7 years, the documentary is a joint production between Austrian, German, Irish and Indian film companies, and had its world premiere in Vienna. It has been screened at a number of film festivals across the world, and at university events in Europe and North America, and positively reviewed in the journal NATURE.
This film has spurred a conversation between prominent scholars, governments, and members of the Nicobarese community on the role of communities and that of science in securing sustainable livelihoods in the wake of global forces.
Key Themes:
Indigenous Issues, Climate & Environmental Changes, Places & Spaces
Facilitator:
Simron J. Singh (University of Waterloo)
Panelists:
Prateep Nayak (University of Waterloo)
Fikret Berkes (University of Manitoba)
Jessica Blythe (University of Waterloo)
Kent Williams (Assistant Professor, Leadership Studies Rowe School of Business Dalhousie University)