
Slow Disaster
Political Ecology of Hazards and Everyday Life in the Brahmaputra Valley, Assam
Mitul Baruah(Author)
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 27. May 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
154 pages
978-0-367-50978-1 (ISBN)
Description
This book presents a fascinating, ethnographic account of the challenges faced by communities living in Majuli, India, one of the largest river islands in the world, which has experienced immense socio-environmental transformations over the years, processes that are emblematic of the Brahmaputra Valley as a whole.
Written in an engaging style, full of the author's insider perspectives, this insightful volume explores the processes of flooding and riverbank erosion in Majuli, including re-configuration of the island's geographies, loss of local livelihoods, and large-scale displacement of the population. The book begins with an examination of the physical geography of Majuli and its ecological complexities, leading to discussion on the role of the state in water governance and hazard management, as well as popular resistance by the rural communities on the island. The book focuses on livelihoods as a way of offering economic context to living in challenging environmental conditions and examines the interactions between the state and a whole host of non-state actors, and the everyday, arbitrary functioning of the bureaucracy in a hazardscape.
This volume is an invaluable resource for scholars interested in political ecology of hazards and vulnerability, water and hydraulic infrastructure, rural livelihoods and agrarian questions, state theorizations, island studies, and resistance and social movements, as well as those with an interest in northeast India more generally across various disciplines.
Written in an engaging style, full of the author's insider perspectives, this insightful volume explores the processes of flooding and riverbank erosion in Majuli, including re-configuration of the island's geographies, loss of local livelihoods, and large-scale displacement of the population. The book begins with an examination of the physical geography of Majuli and its ecological complexities, leading to discussion on the role of the state in water governance and hazard management, as well as popular resistance by the rural communities on the island. The book focuses on livelihoods as a way of offering economic context to living in challenging environmental conditions and examines the interactions between the state and a whole host of non-state actors, and the everyday, arbitrary functioning of the bureaucracy in a hazardscape.
This volume is an invaluable resource for scholars interested in political ecology of hazards and vulnerability, water and hydraulic infrastructure, rural livelihoods and agrarian questions, state theorizations, island studies, and resistance and social movements, as well as those with an interest in northeast India more generally across various disciplines.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Postgraduate and Undergraduate
Illustrations
38 s/w Abbildungen, 37 s/w Photographien bzw. Rasterbilder, 4 s/w Tabellen, 1 s/w Zeichnung
4 Tables, black and white; 1 Line drawings, black and white; 37 Halftones, black and white; 38 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Weight
272 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-367-50978-1 (9780367509781)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Mitul Baruah
Slow Disaster
Political Ecology of Hazards and Everyday Life in the Brahmaputra Valley, Assam
Book
09/2022
1st Edition
Routledge
€205.90
Shipment within 15-20 days

Mitul Baruah
Slow Disaster
Political Ecology of Hazards and Everyday Life in the Brahmaputra Valley, Assam
E-Book
09/2022
1st Edition
Routledge
€55.49
Available for download

Mitul Baruah
Slow Disaster
Political Ecology of Hazards and Everyday Life in the Brahmaputra Valley, Assam
E-Book
09/2022
1st Edition
Routledge
€55.49
Available for download
Person
Mitul Baruah is an Assistant Professor of Sociology & Anthropology and Environmental Studies at Ashoka University, India. His research interests include political ecology, water governance, hazards and disasters, environmental justice, agrarian studies, and island studies. He also possesses years of grassroots experience in environmental conservation, sustainable livelihoods, and community mobilization in rural India.
Content
1. Introduction, 2. The Making and Unmaking of Majuli, 3. The Disastrous State, 4. Livelihoods, Ruined, 5. The Unquiet Island, 6. Afterword: Between Despair and Hope