Partha Jyoti Das - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Partha Jyoti Das
With the Northeast identified as India's 'future powerhouse' and at least 168 large hydroelectric... more With the Northeast identified as India's 'future powerhouse' and at least 168 large hydroelectric projects 2 set to majorly alter the riverscape, large dams are emerging as a major issue of conflict in the region. Although the current scale of dam-related developments far outstrips anything which took place in the past, the region has been no stranger to dam-related conflicts. For example, the Kaptai dam, built in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in the 1960s, submerged the traditional homelands of the Hajong and Chakma indigenous communities, and forced them to migrate into parts of Northeast India. Over the years, this has led to serious conflicts between the refugees and local communities in Arunachal Pradesh. In the 1970s, the Gumti dam in Tripura submerged large tracts of arable land in the Raima Valley and displaced the local tribal population, leading to unrest. Projects such as the Loktak hydroelectric project commissioned in the 1980s have impacted the wetland ecology of the Loktak lake in Manipur, seriously affecting the habitat of the endangered Sangai (the brow-antlered deer) and the livelihoods of local people. The impending loss of home, land and livelihood has led to many years of opposition to the Pagladiya project in Assam and the Tipaimukh project in Manipur on the Barak river. More recent times have seen major conflicts emerge in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh over the individual and cumulative impacts of over 100 dams planned in upstream Arunachal. Dam-induced floods from projects such as the 405 MW Ranganadi hydroelectric project in Arunachal and the intense people's opposition to the under-construction 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri hydroelectric project on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border have been major triggers for what has now emerged as a major political debate on the downstream impacts of dams in the region. Meanwhile, in the uplands of Sikkim and Arunachal, minority indigenous communites such as the Lepchas and Idu Mishmis have expressed concern about the impacts of multiple mega projects in their homelands. The large dams' juggernaut promises to be the biggest 'development' intervention in this ecologically and geologically fragile, seismically active and culturally sensitive region in the coming days.
Global Environmental Change, 2016
Recent advances on power, politics, and pathways in climate change adaptation aim to re-frame dec... more Recent advances on power, politics, and pathways in climate change adaptation aim to re-frame decisionmaking processes from development-as-usual to openings for transformational adaptation. This paper offers empirical insights regarding decision-making politics in the context of collective learning through participatory scenario building and flexible flood management and planning in the Eastern Brahmaputra Basin of Assam, India. By foregrounding intergroup and intragroup power dynamics in such collective learning spaces and how they intersect with existing micropolitics of adaptation on the ground, we examine opportunities for and limitations to challenging entrenched authority and subjectivities. Our results suggest that emancipatory agency can indeed emerge but is likely to be fluid and multifaceted. Community actors who are best positioned to resist higher-level domination may well be imbricated in oppression at home. While participatory co-learning as embraced here might open some spaces for transformation, others close down or remain shut.
Advances in Meteorology, 2015
Estimation of the flow generated in the Brahmaputra river basin is important for establishing an ... more Estimation of the flow generated in the Brahmaputra river basin is important for establishing an effective flood prediction and warning services as well as for water resources assessment and management. But this is a data scarce region with few and unevenly distributed hydrometeorological stations. Five high-resolution satellite rainfall products (CPC RFE2.0, RFE2.0-Modified, CMORPH, GSMaP, and TRMM 3B42) were evaluated at different spatial and temporal resolutions (daily, dekadal, monthly, and seasonal) with observed rain gauge data from 2004 to 2006 to determine their ability to fill the data gap and suitability for use in hydrological and water resources management applications. Grid-to-grid (G-G) and catchment-to-catchment (C-C) comparisons were performed using the verification methods developed by the International Precipitation Working Group (IPWG). Comparing different products, RFE2.0-Modified, TRMM 3B42, and CMORPH performed best; they all detected heavy, moderate, and low r...
Sustainability, 2021
The Brahmaputra is one of the largest river systems of South Asia, providing life-supporting serv... more The Brahmaputra is one of the largest river systems of South Asia, providing life-supporting services to about 70 million people. Massive flooding, land erosion, over-exploitation of water, excessive fishing, habitat degradation and fragmentation, exploitation of flood plains, climate change impacts, absence of integrated basin wide management, and transboundary cooperation are major challenges for the present and future sustainability and development in the basin. Although hydrological connectivity is intact in most of the main course of the river, the infrastructure development plans may convert the Brahmaputra to a predominantly managed river system. In this regard, this paper examines the physiographic, ecological, hydrological, and socioeconomic status of the Brahmaputra river, its transnational basin in South Asia, and the basin population in the cross-cutting context to explore its sustainable management options. For a durable future of the river and its communities, an integ...
This paper examines the role of financial remittances on the adaptive capacity of households in f... more This paper examines the role of financial remittances on the adaptive capacity of households in floodaffected rural communities of Upper Assam in India. Findings reveal that remittances-receiving households are likely to have better access to formal financial institutions, insurance and communication devices than nonrecipient households. This study indicates that the duration for which remittances are received by a household has a significant and positive association with structural changes made by the household to address flood impacts, farm mechanization, the household’s access to borrowing, and participation in collective action on flood relief, recovery and preparedness. The adaptation potential of remittances of remittances can be realized if policy attention is given to attempts to enable gains in financial capital to be translated to gains in other types of capital and how the social element of remittances can be used to boost social capital. For example, by facilitating an i...
at least 168 large hydroelectric projects set to majorly alter the riverscape, large dams are eme... more at least 168 large hydroelectric projects set to majorly alter the riverscape, large dams are emerging as a major issue of conflict in the region. Although the current scale of dam-related developments far outstrips anything which took place in the past, the region has been no stranger to dam-related conflicts. For example, the Kaptai dam, built in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in the 1960s, submerged the traditional homelands of the Hajong and Chakma indigenous communities, and forced them to migrate into parts of Northeast India. Over the years, this has led to serious conflicts between the refugees and local communities in Arunachal Pradesh. In the 1970s, the Gumti dam in Tripura submerged large tracts of arable land in the Raima Valley and displaced the local tribal population, leading to unrest. Projects such as the Loktak hydroelectric project commissioned in the 1980s have impacted the wetland ecology of the Loktak lake in Manipur, seriously aff...
at least 168 large hydroelectric projects set to majorly alter the riverscape, large dams are eme... more at least 168 large hydroelectric projects set to majorly alter the riverscape, large dams are emerging as a major issue of conflict in the region. Although the current scale of dam-related developments far outstrips anything which took place in the past, the region has been no stranger to dam-related conflicts. For example, the Kaptai dam, built in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in the 1960s, submerged the traditional homelands of the Hajong and Chakma indigenous communities, and forced them to migrate into parts of Northeast India. Over the years, this has led to serious conflicts between the refugees and local communities in Arunachal Pradesh. In the 1970s, the Gumti dam in Tripura submerged large tracts of arable land in the Raima Valley and displaced the local tribal population, leading to unrest. Projects such as the Loktak hydroelectric project commissioned in the 1980s have impacted the wetland ecology of the Loktak lake in Manipur, seriously aff...
The central objective of the research project 'Documenting and Assessing Adaptation Strategies to... more The central objective of the research project 'Documenting and Assessing Adaptation Strategies to Too Much, Too Little Water' is to document adaptation strategies at local or community level to constraints and hazards related to water and induced by climate change in the Himalayan region, including how people are affected by water stress and hazards, their local short and long-term responses, and the extent to which these strategies reduce vulnerability to water stress and hazards. Five case studies were carried out in four countries. The results of each have been summarised in separate documents on a CD-ROM to accompany a single synthesis document. The Assam case study presented here documents and assesses the local and /or traditional practices of communities which have evolved from their culture, customs, beliefs, indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) and skills that have enabled them to survive water stresses and cope with hazards and disasters over the long term in the fl ood plains of the Brahmaputra basin of eastern Assam, India. The research was carried out at two sites: viz, the areas of Majgaon (one village: Majgaon) and Matmora (four villages: Tinigharia, Khamon Birina, Opar Khamon, Bahpora No.1) through participatory action research (PRA) complemented by secondary data in some cases. The fi ve villages are in the Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts of Assam, respectively. The study sites were selected on the basis of their long history of water-induced stresses and the vulnerability and adaptability of the communities to water-induced hazards such as fl oods, fl ash fl oods, river bank erosion, and land degradation caused by sand deposition. The study sites are inhabited by three prominent indigenous communities-the 'Mishing' (Matmora area), the 'Ahom', and the 'Chutiya' (Majgaon)-and several Assamese caste groups such as Brahmins, 'Koibartta' (Matmora area), and a Bihari community (Majgaon). Floods, fl ash fl oods, and sand casting are the most serious water-induced stresses in the eastern Brahmaputra basin in Assam where the study sites are located. The study villages have many things in common in terms of the nature of water-induced problems, a fl ood history tracing back to the 1950 earthquake, impacts of fl oods, community adaptations, and ways of living and coping with stress. There are also signifi cant differences in degrees and types of vulnerabilities as well as in coping and adaptation strategies, depending on the culture, traditions, indigenous knowledge systems, physical location, intensity of fl ooding, and extent of outside intervention. The Mishing community builds thatched, stilt houses and granaries on stilts, while others build houses with high plinths but build granaries on stilts. People store food and save money for bad times and try to keep themselves informed about fl ood situations and warnings as preparatory measures, sometimes using their folk beliefs and observational experiences. They take shelter on high platforms close by or on the road or on embankments with their cattle if they are in danger of being displaced and have to move houses or villages. Transportation during fl oods is usually on rafts made from the wood of the banana tree and they help each other in rescue and evacuation operations. Most of the villagers are skilled swimmers and know how to use boats and rafts. They try various methods of cultivating paddy of different varieties whenever there is a slight respite from fl oods. Some of them have grown alternative crops and vegetables with consistent efforts but on a subsistence scale. Other villagers have engaged in alternative livelihoods, such as daily-wage labour, fi shing, selling dry fi sh and country liquor (sometimes against cultural taboos), and providing menial labour for government projects, whereas others have migrated to get work. Their adaptive capacities need to be augmented by well-designed interventions aimed at making people more proactive and communities self sustained so that they are ready to face future hazards.
Water Conflicts in Northeast India, 2017
Land, 2016
Wetlands provide a diverse range of ecosystem services supporting livelihoods of many people. Des... more Wetlands provide a diverse range of ecosystem services supporting livelihoods of many people. Despite their value, wetlands are continuously being degraded. There is scant information on individual wetlands, people's dependency and their exploitation at a local scale. We therefore assessed wetland ecosystem services, the drivers of change and impacts of those drivers on ecosystem services and people's dependency through a case study of the Maguri-Motapung Beel wetlands of Assam, India. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through household surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and community workshops. The analyses showed a total of 29 ecosystem services, and high dependency on these with five out of seven livelihood strategies sourced from ecosystem services. Over-exploitation of wetland resources and siltation were reported as the major direct drivers of change with impacts on both ecosystem services and people's livelihoods. Drastic decreases in availability of thatch, fish stocks, fodder and tourism were observed. This suggests that there is an urgent need for a comprehensive participatory management plan. Actions are needed to maintain the Maguri-Motapung Beel wetlands and the flow of services in order to sustain people's livelihoods in the area. With an estimated 50% global loss of wetlands in the last century and the loss of 5,000 square kilometers a year in Asia alone, the loss of ecosystem services and livelihood impacts shown in our study may be typical of what is occurring in the region and perhaps globally.
With the Northeast identified as India's 'future powerhouse' and at least 168 large hydroelectric... more With the Northeast identified as India's 'future powerhouse' and at least 168 large hydroelectric projects 2 set to majorly alter the riverscape, large dams are emerging as a major issue of conflict in the region. Although the current scale of dam-related developments far outstrips anything which took place in the past, the region has been no stranger to dam-related conflicts. For example, the Kaptai dam, built in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in the 1960s, submerged the traditional homelands of the Hajong and Chakma indigenous communities, and forced them to migrate into parts of Northeast India. Over the years, this has led to serious conflicts between the refugees and local communities in Arunachal Pradesh. In the 1970s, the Gumti dam in Tripura submerged large tracts of arable land in the Raima Valley and displaced the local tribal population, leading to unrest. Projects such as the Loktak hydroelectric project commissioned in the 1980s have impacted the wetland ecology of the Loktak lake in Manipur, seriously affecting the habitat of the endangered Sangai (the brow-antlered deer) and the livelihoods of local people. The impending loss of home, land and livelihood has led to many years of opposition to the Pagladiya project in Assam and the Tipaimukh project in Manipur on the Barak river. More recent times have seen major conflicts emerge in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh over the individual and cumulative impacts of over 100 dams planned in upstream Arunachal. Dam-induced floods from projects such as the 405 MW Ranganadi hydroelectric project in Arunachal and the intense people's opposition to the under-construction 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri hydroelectric project on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border have been major triggers for what has now emerged as a major political debate on the downstream impacts of dams in the region. Meanwhile, in the uplands of Sikkim and Arunachal, minority indigenous communites such as the Lepchas and Idu Mishmis have expressed concern about the impacts of multiple mega projects in their homelands. The large dams' juggernaut promises to be the biggest 'development' intervention in this ecologically and geologically fragile, seismically active and culturally sensitive region in the coming days.
Global Environmental Change, 2016
Recent advances on power, politics, and pathways in climate change adaptation aim to re-frame dec... more Recent advances on power, politics, and pathways in climate change adaptation aim to re-frame decisionmaking processes from development-as-usual to openings for transformational adaptation. This paper offers empirical insights regarding decision-making politics in the context of collective learning through participatory scenario building and flexible flood management and planning in the Eastern Brahmaputra Basin of Assam, India. By foregrounding intergroup and intragroup power dynamics in such collective learning spaces and how they intersect with existing micropolitics of adaptation on the ground, we examine opportunities for and limitations to challenging entrenched authority and subjectivities. Our results suggest that emancipatory agency can indeed emerge but is likely to be fluid and multifaceted. Community actors who are best positioned to resist higher-level domination may well be imbricated in oppression at home. While participatory co-learning as embraced here might open some spaces for transformation, others close down or remain shut.
Advances in Meteorology, 2015
Estimation of the flow generated in the Brahmaputra river basin is important for establishing an ... more Estimation of the flow generated in the Brahmaputra river basin is important for establishing an effective flood prediction and warning services as well as for water resources assessment and management. But this is a data scarce region with few and unevenly distributed hydrometeorological stations. Five high-resolution satellite rainfall products (CPC RFE2.0, RFE2.0-Modified, CMORPH, GSMaP, and TRMM 3B42) were evaluated at different spatial and temporal resolutions (daily, dekadal, monthly, and seasonal) with observed rain gauge data from 2004 to 2006 to determine their ability to fill the data gap and suitability for use in hydrological and water resources management applications. Grid-to-grid (G-G) and catchment-to-catchment (C-C) comparisons were performed using the verification methods developed by the International Precipitation Working Group (IPWG). Comparing different products, RFE2.0-Modified, TRMM 3B42, and CMORPH performed best; they all detected heavy, moderate, and low r...
Sustainability, 2021
The Brahmaputra is one of the largest river systems of South Asia, providing life-supporting serv... more The Brahmaputra is one of the largest river systems of South Asia, providing life-supporting services to about 70 million people. Massive flooding, land erosion, over-exploitation of water, excessive fishing, habitat degradation and fragmentation, exploitation of flood plains, climate change impacts, absence of integrated basin wide management, and transboundary cooperation are major challenges for the present and future sustainability and development in the basin. Although hydrological connectivity is intact in most of the main course of the river, the infrastructure development plans may convert the Brahmaputra to a predominantly managed river system. In this regard, this paper examines the physiographic, ecological, hydrological, and socioeconomic status of the Brahmaputra river, its transnational basin in South Asia, and the basin population in the cross-cutting context to explore its sustainable management options. For a durable future of the river and its communities, an integ...
This paper examines the role of financial remittances on the adaptive capacity of households in f... more This paper examines the role of financial remittances on the adaptive capacity of households in floodaffected rural communities of Upper Assam in India. Findings reveal that remittances-receiving households are likely to have better access to formal financial institutions, insurance and communication devices than nonrecipient households. This study indicates that the duration for which remittances are received by a household has a significant and positive association with structural changes made by the household to address flood impacts, farm mechanization, the household’s access to borrowing, and participation in collective action on flood relief, recovery and preparedness. The adaptation potential of remittances of remittances can be realized if policy attention is given to attempts to enable gains in financial capital to be translated to gains in other types of capital and how the social element of remittances can be used to boost social capital. For example, by facilitating an i...
at least 168 large hydroelectric projects set to majorly alter the riverscape, large dams are eme... more at least 168 large hydroelectric projects set to majorly alter the riverscape, large dams are emerging as a major issue of conflict in the region. Although the current scale of dam-related developments far outstrips anything which took place in the past, the region has been no stranger to dam-related conflicts. For example, the Kaptai dam, built in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in the 1960s, submerged the traditional homelands of the Hajong and Chakma indigenous communities, and forced them to migrate into parts of Northeast India. Over the years, this has led to serious conflicts between the refugees and local communities in Arunachal Pradesh. In the 1970s, the Gumti dam in Tripura submerged large tracts of arable land in the Raima Valley and displaced the local tribal population, leading to unrest. Projects such as the Loktak hydroelectric project commissioned in the 1980s have impacted the wetland ecology of the Loktak lake in Manipur, seriously aff...
at least 168 large hydroelectric projects set to majorly alter the riverscape, large dams are eme... more at least 168 large hydroelectric projects set to majorly alter the riverscape, large dams are emerging as a major issue of conflict in the region. Although the current scale of dam-related developments far outstrips anything which took place in the past, the region has been no stranger to dam-related conflicts. For example, the Kaptai dam, built in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in the 1960s, submerged the traditional homelands of the Hajong and Chakma indigenous communities, and forced them to migrate into parts of Northeast India. Over the years, this has led to serious conflicts between the refugees and local communities in Arunachal Pradesh. In the 1970s, the Gumti dam in Tripura submerged large tracts of arable land in the Raima Valley and displaced the local tribal population, leading to unrest. Projects such as the Loktak hydroelectric project commissioned in the 1980s have impacted the wetland ecology of the Loktak lake in Manipur, seriously aff...
The central objective of the research project 'Documenting and Assessing Adaptation Strategies to... more The central objective of the research project 'Documenting and Assessing Adaptation Strategies to Too Much, Too Little Water' is to document adaptation strategies at local or community level to constraints and hazards related to water and induced by climate change in the Himalayan region, including how people are affected by water stress and hazards, their local short and long-term responses, and the extent to which these strategies reduce vulnerability to water stress and hazards. Five case studies were carried out in four countries. The results of each have been summarised in separate documents on a CD-ROM to accompany a single synthesis document. The Assam case study presented here documents and assesses the local and /or traditional practices of communities which have evolved from their culture, customs, beliefs, indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) and skills that have enabled them to survive water stresses and cope with hazards and disasters over the long term in the fl ood plains of the Brahmaputra basin of eastern Assam, India. The research was carried out at two sites: viz, the areas of Majgaon (one village: Majgaon) and Matmora (four villages: Tinigharia, Khamon Birina, Opar Khamon, Bahpora No.1) through participatory action research (PRA) complemented by secondary data in some cases. The fi ve villages are in the Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts of Assam, respectively. The study sites were selected on the basis of their long history of water-induced stresses and the vulnerability and adaptability of the communities to water-induced hazards such as fl oods, fl ash fl oods, river bank erosion, and land degradation caused by sand deposition. The study sites are inhabited by three prominent indigenous communities-the 'Mishing' (Matmora area), the 'Ahom', and the 'Chutiya' (Majgaon)-and several Assamese caste groups such as Brahmins, 'Koibartta' (Matmora area), and a Bihari community (Majgaon). Floods, fl ash fl oods, and sand casting are the most serious water-induced stresses in the eastern Brahmaputra basin in Assam where the study sites are located. The study villages have many things in common in terms of the nature of water-induced problems, a fl ood history tracing back to the 1950 earthquake, impacts of fl oods, community adaptations, and ways of living and coping with stress. There are also signifi cant differences in degrees and types of vulnerabilities as well as in coping and adaptation strategies, depending on the culture, traditions, indigenous knowledge systems, physical location, intensity of fl ooding, and extent of outside intervention. The Mishing community builds thatched, stilt houses and granaries on stilts, while others build houses with high plinths but build granaries on stilts. People store food and save money for bad times and try to keep themselves informed about fl ood situations and warnings as preparatory measures, sometimes using their folk beliefs and observational experiences. They take shelter on high platforms close by or on the road or on embankments with their cattle if they are in danger of being displaced and have to move houses or villages. Transportation during fl oods is usually on rafts made from the wood of the banana tree and they help each other in rescue and evacuation operations. Most of the villagers are skilled swimmers and know how to use boats and rafts. They try various methods of cultivating paddy of different varieties whenever there is a slight respite from fl oods. Some of them have grown alternative crops and vegetables with consistent efforts but on a subsistence scale. Other villagers have engaged in alternative livelihoods, such as daily-wage labour, fi shing, selling dry fi sh and country liquor (sometimes against cultural taboos), and providing menial labour for government projects, whereas others have migrated to get work. Their adaptive capacities need to be augmented by well-designed interventions aimed at making people more proactive and communities self sustained so that they are ready to face future hazards.
Water Conflicts in Northeast India, 2017
Land, 2016
Wetlands provide a diverse range of ecosystem services supporting livelihoods of many people. Des... more Wetlands provide a diverse range of ecosystem services supporting livelihoods of many people. Despite their value, wetlands are continuously being degraded. There is scant information on individual wetlands, people's dependency and their exploitation at a local scale. We therefore assessed wetland ecosystem services, the drivers of change and impacts of those drivers on ecosystem services and people's dependency through a case study of the Maguri-Motapung Beel wetlands of Assam, India. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through household surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and community workshops. The analyses showed a total of 29 ecosystem services, and high dependency on these with five out of seven livelihood strategies sourced from ecosystem services. Over-exploitation of wetland resources and siltation were reported as the major direct drivers of change with impacts on both ecosystem services and people's livelihoods. Drastic decreases in availability of thatch, fish stocks, fodder and tourism were observed. This suggests that there is an urgent need for a comprehensive participatory management plan. Actions are needed to maintain the Maguri-Motapung Beel wetlands and the flow of services in order to sustain people's livelihoods in the area. With an estimated 50% global loss of wetlands in the last century and the loss of 5,000 square kilometers a year in Asia alone, the loss of ecosystem services and livelihood impacts shown in our study may be typical of what is occurring in the region and perhaps globally.