Tracing Forty Years of Research on the Bhopal Gas Tragedy: Trends, Themes, and Future Directions
Tracing Forty Years of Research on the Bhopal Gas Tragedy: Trends, Themes, and Future Directions

Summary/Abstract: The Bhopal Gas Tragedy stands as a defining moment in the history of industrial disasters, prompting ongoing global discourse on public health, environmental safety, and corporate accountability. This study aims to systematically map and evaluate the scholarly landscape of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy over 40 years (1984–2024), offering a longitudinal perspective on the evolution, diffusion, and thematic transformation of research in this critical area. A total of 301 documents were analyzed, revealing fluctuating yet enduring scholarly engagement, with notable publication peaks corresponding to key anniversaries of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. The findings show a clear thematic evolution from early technical and toxicological investigations focused on chemical causes and health effects to more holistic perspectives encompassing industrial safety, environmental sustainability, and disaster governance. In recent years, research has increasingly integrated themes of public health, psychosocial resilience, and environmental justice, reflecting a shift from reactive crisis response to preventive and adaptive frameworks. Factorial analysis further identified three dominant thematic clusters: institutional and technical management of the disaster, long-term health and environmental outcomes, and occupational or exposure-related risks. The bibliometric insights derived from this study advance understanding of industrial disasters by illustrating how Bhopal-related research has transitioned from immediate impact analyses to broader explorations of systemic governance and resilience. The significant implication of this work is the highlighting of the growing incorporation of environmental regulation, community preparedness, and psychosocial recovery into disaster management frameworks. This evidence-based synthesis clarifies the field's intellectual structure. It provides actionable guidance for policymakers and safety professionals, emphasizing the need for stronger preventive strategies, inter-agency collaboration, and resilience-building initiatives in industrial risk governance.

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