Water Politics and Environmental Injustice in The Water Knife

Abstract

The novel The Water Knife (2015), by Paolo Bacigalupi, presents a post-apocalyptic vision of a water-scarce American Southwest where social stratification deepens amid the region's ecological collapse. This paper explores the book through the perspectives of Postcolonial Ecocriticism, Environmental Justice, and Political Ecology. This novel highlights how internal colonial powers use water as a commodity amid a resource crisis, leading to human displacement and exploitation. While focusing on the plight of people living on the margins of society, the author shows how climate change results in socio-economic and political inequalities and forces individuals to leave their homes and fight to obtain essential resources. Overall, the work provides a thought-provoking perspective on socio-environmental issues associated with climate change.