Episode Synopsis "History of the Brahmaputra Basin: River without Boundaries"
Brahmaputra originates in the Himalayan mountain range in Tibet. It is a transboundary water body that flows across four countries. It is known as Yarlung Tsangpo in China, Siang, Brahmaputra in India, and Jamuna in Bangladesh. While from Bhutan tributaries flow to join the river. These four countries sharing the basin are in various stages of development with it's nation's population dependent on the river for it's resources, it is often seen as a source of socio-economic development. As such, much of the narrative around the river is about contestation; but there are also stories of hope, friendship, and symbiotic relationships between people and the river; which we would like to bring to light through this podcast. In this session on "History of the Brahmaputra Basin: River without Boundaries", we will endeavour to look at the river basin as a whole, beyond the administrative boundaries, and the way the relationship between the river and the riverine communities has evolved for centuries. Guests: Ainun Nishat, Professor Emeritus, Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research, BRAC University in Bangladesh Arup Jyoti Saikia, Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India Music: Mahabahu Brahmaputra and Aji Brahmaputra Hol Bahniman by Bhupen Hazarika Host: Anamika Barua, Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India Coordinating team: Natasha Hazarika, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India Arundhati Deka, Research Associate, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India Diksha Verma, Student, Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India Aryan Rathod, Student, Computer Science, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India