This presentation was part of the 2009 World Town Planning Day Online Conference

1. 2009 World Town Planning Day Online Conference
Resilience in a Changing Climate
Majuli (India) – A lost cause or an
ongoing adaptation to climate change?
12 November 2009
Urmi Buragohain
Ministry of Municipality and
Urban Planning, Doha, Qatar

2. PRESENTATION OBJECTIVES
This presentation will inform you
• about a rural community in the developing
world extremely vulnerable to climate change
and faced with potential extinction
• why the community defies all odds in
continuing to survive and adapt in a hostile
setting
• how this case study can inform other
vulnerable communities around the world
2

3. THIS PRESENTATION IS NOT ABOUT…
• Whether Majuli as a geographical entity is going
to exist or not
• The environmental and heritage conservation
and management of the island
• Disaster management
3

4. METHODOLOGY
• Builds on past research on Majuli
• Theoretical application of the methodological
framework proposed by Pelling (2003)
• Data collection mainly from secondary sources
• Inferences drawn would need further validation
via further research
4

5. INTRODUCTION
INDIA
• Majuli is a river island situated
in the central region of the
Brahmaputra basin in the state
of Assam in India’s northeast
region
ASSAM
ASSAM • Majuli was formed by the
action of the river
Brahmaputra, Subansiri and
their tributaries
Lakhimpur
• Connectivity to the mainland is
Majuli
only by boat
Jorhat
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6. PHYSIOGRAPHIC SETTING1
• a powerful monsoon rainfall regime under wet
humid conditions
• a fragile geologic base
• active seismicity
BAMBOO PORCUPINES RIVER BANK EROSION
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7. LAND DEGRADATION2
• The landmass has reduced from around 1,300
sq.km during 1950s to around 800 sq.km in
2001 DHEMAJI DISTRICT
SUBANSIRI RIVER
DIBRUGARH DISTRICT
LAKHIMPUR DISTRICT
BREACH IN EMBANKMENT
LEGEND
GOLAGHAT DISTRICT ZONE I: HOMOGENOUS PLAIN AREAS
JORHAT
ZONE II: LOW LYING & FLOODED AREAS
ZONE III: SANDY CHARS OR SAND BARS
BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER EROSION
EXISTING EMBANKMENT
ERODED EMBANKMENT
SUB‐DIVISION BOUNDARY
RIVER
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8. SOCIO‐POLITICAL CONTEXT2
• Tribal constituency
• Seat of neo‐Vaishnavism
• Economic vulnerability
• Top‐down bureaucratic administration
• Insurgency and counter‐insurgency
MISHING DWELLINGS
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9. DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE2
DECADAL INCREASE IN POPULATION OF MAJULI • The population of the Majuli Sub‐
16.00%
14.00%
12.00%
13.37%
11.92%
13.29% Division as per the 1991 census
Percentage
11.14%
10.00%
8.00% % i ncrea s e was around 153,000
6.00% in
4.00%
2.00%
popul a ti on
• Out of 244 villages in 1991, 34
0.00%
1971 1981 1991 2001 were eroded by 2001
Year
• Heavy outmigration from
COMPARISON OF THE GROWTH RATES IN THE THREE MOUZAS
Ahatguri Mouza
40.00% 32.75% 30.85%
30.00%
16.78% 16.73%
20.00% Growth rate
10.00% (1 )
961 SALMORA
1.13%
0.00%
Growth rate KAMALABARI
-10.00% (1 )
971
Ahatguri
Salm ora
Kam alabari
Mouza
-20.00%
-17.37% AHATGURI
NOTE: Based on 1991 Census figures
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10. CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON THE
REGION3
• the impacts of climate change on regions like
northeast India are less explored and less known
• no significant trend in rainfall for the region
• a distinctly rising trend in surface air temperatures
• drought like situations; dry periods becoming longer
• irregular rainfall pattern
• extreme climate events becoming more frequent
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11. WHY WILL MAJULI BE RESILIENT?
• Majuli’s resilience to internal and external shocks
including climate change comes not from the ‘formal’,
top‐down responses to the physiographical and geo‐
morphological challenges, but from the social capital
inherent in the traditional cultural and religious groups
and institutions
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12. WHAT MAKES MAJULI RESILIENT
• Historical continuum of the traditional and religious
institutional networks
– Mishings migrated over centuries to settle along
riverbanks
– Neo‐Vaishnavite movement took its roots in Majuli
in the 16th century
– Non‐tribals migrated here attracted by the Sattras
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13. COMPLEX NETWORK OF SOCIAL
RELATIONSHIPS
1. WITHIN A GROUP 2. BETWEEN GROUPS WITH
• Ke'bang SHARED INTERESTS
• Nāmghar – common
• Yame Mimbir
• Gaon Burha platform for various formal
& informal groups
Pelling (2003): The balance 3. VERTICAL
between bridging, bonding RELATIONSHIPS
and linking capital points to a • Nāmghar – Rāij‐Medhi as
society’s orientation towards intermediary
social fragmentation, • Ke'bang – Gam as
cooperation or hierarchy intermediary
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14. NĀMGHAR4
• for the last four hundred years, the
Nāmghar has been serving as the
village public hall
• the Nāmghars operate and are
managed on democratic principles
• constructed by the joint labour of
the villagers
• the venue for congregational
chanting of prayers
• an effective forum for decentralised
planning and decision making
A CORRIDOR ENCIRCLING A NĀMGHAR
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15. KE'BANG5
• the Ke'bang is the apex administrative
unit within a Mishing village
• the chief of the Ke'bang is called Gam
or Gaon Burah
• village elders comprise the council body
www.lakhimpur.nic.in
• women are generally excluded from the
council body
• has the power to deliver judgments and
punish the offenders
• the Ke'bang is held in the Murong or
the public hall
www.lakhimpur.nic.in
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16. 1. RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN & BETWEEN
GROUPS
NĀMGHAR NEIGHBOURING
A MISHING VILLAGE MISHING VILLAGE
GAM OR VILLAGE HEADMAN
VILLAGE ELDER VILLAGE ELDER VILLAGE ELDER COOPERATION
KE'BANG OR VILLAGE COUNCIL
rigbo gok nam
MEN WOMEN
dagle'ka‐alek
MEN WOMEN
MEN WOMEN
Farming Farming
Fishing Animal husbandry
Maintaining & Domestic tasks
MALE YOUTH FEMALE YOUTH
managing family Food gathering COOPERATION
YAME‐MEMBER Weaving
RESILIENCE HIGH RESILIENCE LOW
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17. 2. ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN GROUPS
WITH SHARED INTERESTS AND GOALS
MISHING DEORI KOIBARTTA NATH
KACHARI
AHOM KOCH MATAK
INFORMAL COOPERATION
NĀMGHAR BETWEEN VILLAGES
•Employment in farms
•Disaster aid
•Women’s networks
•Barter
BRAHMIN KALITA
RESILIENCE HIGH RESILIENCE LOW
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18. 3. VERTICAL RELATIONSHIPS
EXTERNAL INTERNAL
UNESCO
GOVERNMENT
MINISTRIES & GRAM
ADMINISTRATIVE VILLAGER VILLAGER
PANCHAYAT
DEPARTMENTS
NĀMGHAR VILLAGER
VILLAGER
Rāij‐Medhi
CREDIT INSTITUTIONS BRAHMAPUTRA
NABARD/ CAPART BOARD VILLAGER VILLAGER
LINE ASSAM TRIBAL SATTRA
DEPARTMENTS DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY
VILLAGER VILLAGER
EDUCATIONAL CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS VILLAGER KEBANG VILLAGER
EXTENSION SERVICES Gam
MAHILA MANDAL
Department of Agriculture NGO VILLAGER
VILLAGER
Agriculture University
Majuli College NGO COOPERATIVES
RESEARCH INSTITUTES
Agriculture University PRIVATE SECTOR
Paddy Research Institute VILLAGE VILLAGE
COOPERATIVES
CONTRACTORS
VILLAGE
TRADERS
RESILIENCE HIGH RESILIENCE LOW
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19. INFORMAL NETWORKS & CAPACITIES
TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP INFORMAL INSTITUTION FUNCTIONS STRENGTHS
RESOLVE DISPUTES TRADITION
RELATIONSHIP WITHIN A IMPOSE PENALTIES VOLUNTARY
GROUP
KE'BANG INFORMATION AUTHORITY
DISSEMINATION KNOWLEDGE
MOBILIZATION OF RESOURCES REPRESENTATION
RELIGIOUS DISCOURSE
TRADITION
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL DISCOURSE
VOLUNTARY
GATHERING PLACE
GROUPS WITH SHARED NĀMGHAR PERFORMANCE SPACE
AUTHORITY
VALUES KNOWLEDGE
SHELTER
REPRESENTATION
FLOOD RELIEF
RELIGIOUS DISCOURSE
TRADITION
KE'BANG SOCIAL DISCOURSE
VOLUNTARY
VERTICAL GATHERING PLACE
AUTHORITY
RELATIONSHIPS PERFORMANCE SPACE
KNOWLEDGE
NĀMGHAR SHELTER
REPRESENTATION
FLOOD RELIEF
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20. ADAPTIVE CAPACITY TO CLIMATE
CHANGE6
• Rescheduling crop calendar and crop practice PURPOSEFUL • Greater involvement of traditional leaders like
• Soil conservation practices Gam and Gaon Burha in development programs
• Construction of flood shelters • Traditional knowledge incorporated in flood and
• Flood relief measures erosion programs
• Traditional stilt houses • Traditional knowledge incorporated in ecological
• Reconstruction work and heritage management
1 3
MATERIAL INSTITUTIONAL
INTERVENTION MODIFICATION
• Training in resource management 2 4 • Womens’ participation in traditional institutions
• Training in disaster mitigation and adaptation like Ke’bang, Namghar
• Education for women and children • State intervention aimed at increasing
• Inventorising traditional knowledge cooperation between groups and fostering greater
participation
INCIDENTAL
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21. THREATS TO ADAPTIVE CAPACITY
• Bureaucratic machinery
• State intervention along administrative
divisions
• Culture of dependency
• Opportunistic nature of organisations
• Unhealthy nexus between formal and informal
interest groups
• Insurgency and counter‐insurgency
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22. INFERENCES
• Though Majuli displays a complex network of informal relationships
at the individual, village and inter‐village level, the network
weakens when it comes to vertical relationships
• There is little recognition for the role that informal groups play or
can play in responding to internal or external shocks
• Past disaster management approaches have been mostly limited to
flood relief by external agencies; involvement of the local
community has been marginal
• The targeted ‘development’ and conservation programs may be a
contributing factor in increased social stratification and weakening
of informal relationships
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23. CONCLUSION
• Majuli’s case may be unique considering its
physiographic, environmental and heritage
context, but it is a living example of how the
underlying social fabric plays a significant role in
enhancing resilience of a community to internal
and external vulnerabilities
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24. REFERENCES
1 Goswami D.C., Das P.J. (2005). The Brahmaputra River, India. Accessed 1 November 2009 from
http://www.kalpavriksh.org
2 Buragohain, U (2002). Livelihood Strategies for Resource Management ‐ A Case Study of Majuli. Post
Graduation Dissertation. CEPT University. India
3 Das, P.J. (2009). Water and Climate Induced Vulnerability in Northeast India: Concerns For
Environmental Security And Sustainability. WATCH Research Report 1. AARANYAK. Guwahati, Assam,
India. Accessed 7 November 2009 from http://www.aaranyak.org
4 Bhuyan, A. Sankardeva and Neo‐Vaishnavism in Assam. Accessed 5 November 2009 from
www.atributetosankaradeva.org
5 Mipun, J. (2000). The Mishings (Miris) of Assam: Development of a New Lifestyle. Accessed 1 November
2009 from http://www.themishingsassam.com
6 Pelling, M. (2003). Social Capital and Institutional Adaptation to Climate Change. RCC working paper 2.
Accessed 9 October 2009 from http://www.rcc.rures.net
ACKNOWLEDEMENT
I wish to acknowledge the telephone conversations I had with Ratna Bharali Talukdar (freelance
journalist) and my mother, Indira Gogoi. Their contribution greatly assisted my research.
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