Shifting Sands and Fluid Borders

The Hungry Tide, describes the Sundarbans as a space where "… there are no borders to divide fresh water from salt, river from sea, even land from water.The settlers of the Sundarbans believe that anyone without a pure heart who ventures into the watery labyrinth will never return" (Ghosh 2004).This encapsulates, in many ways, the essence of life at the margins-not only of humans but also of the shifting boundaries between land and water, and between rivers and seas-an interface that transcends human administrative boundaries and barriers.Three Himalayan river systems-the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputraspan countries, terrains, and landscapes.Of the three, the Brahmaputra, often described as a braided river, is the longest and carries the largest sediment load.The combined Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta is the largest and most populous delta system in the world.Borah, in his article, "Fluid Histories and Unruly Waters: The Brahmaputra River System, Political Ecology, and the Making of Pre-Colonial Assam", describes how, over centuries, the river has defined the region's geography, culture, demography, and politics.He also records the historical resilience of the people who engaged with the river's behaviour, constantly reorienting their lives, economies, and politics.For our current times of climate change, Borah provides recommendations on how to build resilience and navigate nature's unpredictability in a riverine landscape.