Maritime Governance and South Asia

by Jivanta Schottli (Author, Editor)

Five out of the eight South Asian countries have direct access to the Indian ocean, yet research tends to focus instead on the region's landmass. Much less attention is paid to the extensive maritime space that links South Asian countries, provides their populations with vital access to resources, connects their economies to global trade networks and perhaps most importantly, contributes to law and order at sea.
At a time when the Indian Ocean has gained great interest and relevance for many global actors, the role and location of South Asia will have critical implications for strategic calculation and alignment. Furthermore, if trade imbalances are to be tackled and economic globalization to regain steam, enhancing South Asia's ability to export and import through the oceans is essential. Finally, climate change is projected to impact South Asia massively. Coping with humanitarian crises and natural disasters will need critical investments in maritime capacities and cooperation.

This edited volume brings together multiple perspectives on contemporary maritime governance in South Asia, from practitioners, policy-makers and academics around the world. They examine India's role as South Asia's leading naval and economic power and the capacity of key actors to shape maritime order in the Indian Ocean.

Readership: Undergraduate students of maritime studies, international relations and South Asian politics, and general readers interested in the South Asian region.

About the Author
Jivanta Schöttli is Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University, Germany and a Masters in Economic History and BSc in International Relations & History from the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK. Her current research focuses on India's foreign policy, especially maritime diplomacy and Indian domestic politics. Her publications include, (co-author) Statecraft and Foreign Policy in India (forthcoming, Nomos, Baden-Baden); (co-author) "India's 2014 General Elections: a critical realignment in Indian politics?" in Asian Survey, 2016; Strategy and Vision in Politics: Jawaharlal Nehru's Policy Choices and the Designing of Political Institutions (Routledge, 2012).