Sustainability Narratives in Postcolonial Literature of SAARC Nations: Challenges and Opportunities

Sustainability has emerged as a central discourse in the 21st century, intersecting with cultural studies, literary narratives, and postcolonial criticism. In the context of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations, postcolonial literature reflects complex engagements with ecological degradation, climate change, cultural memory, and indigenous worldviews. This paper examines sustainability narratives in the postcolonial literatures of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities they present. Using an ecocritical and postcolonial framework, the study identifies how literary texts foreground environmental justice, human–nature relationships, and socio-political struggles tied to sustainability. The analysis reveals that while these narratives illuminate ecological crises, they also open new possibilities for cultural renewal and regional solidarity in addressing sustainability challenges.