The Dynamics of Deforestation, Riverbank Erosion and Migration in India With Special Reference to Assam

Abstract

Deforestation, one of the indicators of environmental degradation, has been considered a cause of migration across the world and India is not an exception to it. During 1930–2013, higher rate of deforestation was observed in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Northeast India. Human encroachment and shifting cultivation have been considered as major sources of deforestation in Northeast India. Indiscriminate deforestation in upper catchment area has caused heavy riverbank erosion in Assam, one of northeastern states of India. Many families lost their crops as well as homestead land and were forced to migrate in search of livelihoods. The vulnerability caused by riverbank erosion acts as a responsible factor for increasing inequality and poverty. In this context, the chapter studies the extent of deforestation in India. The study compiles the findings of different estimates of net and gross deforestation in India. Based on NSS data, a profile of regionwise migration has also been presented. Besides, to see the extent of forced migration due to riverbank erosion, a case study of Assam has been incorporated. We find that extent of migration is positively related with crop land-eroded area. The study also reveals that erosion leads to different problems ranging from destruction of infrastructure, dropout from school and loss of livelihood. Distressed people living in the erosion-prone areas prefer migration as coping strategy in both the short and long runs. However, institutional mechanism may help these people by providing social nets to protect them from income shock.