Protectors of the land and water: citizenship, territory and vulnerability among the Lepcha in Sikkim and West Bengal

Bentley, J. Berkeley

doi:10.1080/14631369.2020.1793295

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…The Indigenous peoples in the Brahmaputra valley have cultures and livelihoods different to other parts of those countries (Davis et al, 2021). For example, traditional Indigenous agricultural systems in Assam and Tibet have worked with ood pulses that are irreparably changed by water infrastructure for hydropower and irrigated agriculture (Bentley, 2021;Rahman, 2014). As another example, traditional knowledge of the impacts of earthquakes leading to landslides and dangerous ooding makes local peoples worried for the safety of infrastructure built on rivers (Mohanty et al, 2020).…”

Section: Analytical Framework: Identifying Varied and Shared Beliefsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, anti-dam social movements along the Tawang, Siang, Sikkim and Subansiri rivers has already slowed down and even stopped the construction of dams (Bej, 2020; Gamble, 2019; Rahman, 2014). There needs more bottom-up approach to include prior informed consent, respect for sacred waterscapes and landscapes, and adequate bene t sharing for local peoples (Bentley, 2021).…”

Section: Sustainable Hydropower Development Integrating All Policy Co...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As another example, traditional knowledge of the impacts of earthquakes leading to landslides and dangerous ooding makes local peoples worried for the safety of infrastructure built on rivers (Mohanty et al, 2020). This is illustrated by the anti-dam movements in India that have so far stopped dam construction in Tawang and Siang, and limited projects in Sikkim Local peoples living in the basin are often at the periphery of national decision making (Bej, 2020;Bentley, 2021;Rahman, 2014). While this paper focusses on national policy values and priorities, this often will not accommodate local ecosystem service values and priorities.…”

Section: Analytical Framework: Identifying Varied and Shared Beliefsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Coalition and contradiction in managing Brahmaputra: Opportunities for more hydropower?

Pittock

Kamruzzaman

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Transboundary sharing of river water is not just an international problem, and it also cascades down to regional, state and local levels. Water cooperation in the Brahmaputra River basin among China, India, Bhutan and Bangladesh has long been contested. Better transboundary management of Brahmaputra requires a new direction from the current situation of fragmented cooperation, conflicts and disputes in the region and increasing threats of climate change. However, it is unclear how the four countries can cooperate and what the cornerstones for their cooperation might be. To explore possible consensus, we conducted an advocacy coalition assessment of the four countries based on the heterogeneous ecosystem services valued by each nation. While China and India are focused on politics, Bangladesh and Bhutan are primarily concerned about the basin in physical terms. Although each nation values the Brahmaputra in different ways, it is possible to initiate strong collaboration based on shared beliefs. We find that developing hydropower sustainably meets the needs and expectations of all nations, especially under the threats of climate change. A sustainable hydropower coalition can help to reduce carbon emissions, acquire green energy, irrigate land in dry seasons, and manage disasters and increasing runoffs from melting glaciers. We conclude our paper with insights for each nation and hydropower development as a whole that might help the nations to manage the Brahmaputra River more sustainably by overcoming their unmatched or mismatched values and interest, and achieving a win-win solution to manage the Brahmaputra River more sustainably.

show abstract

Section: Analytical Framework: Identifying Varied and Shared Beliefsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sustainable Hydropower Development Integrating All Policy Co...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Analytical Framework: Identifying Varied and Shared Beliefsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Coalition and contradiction in managing Brahmaputra: Opportunities for more hydropower?

Pittock

Kamruzzaman

et al. 2022

Preprint

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“…The hunger strike snowballed into a vibrant three‐year‐long struggle that led to the cancellation of four of seven proposed projects in 2010. The anti‐dam movement initiated and spearheaded by Dzongu youth is regarded by many as one of the most successful civil disobedience movements in Sikkim’s democratic history (Bentley 2021; Huber and Joshi 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Dzongu, fault lines emerged between the younger Lepcha anti-dam activists and members of the tribe mostly closely aligned to state and corporate interests, such as pro-dam political leaders and village governance officials. The hunger strike and anti-dam activism sharpened generational divides as competing visions of Dzongu and the future of Lepchas within India and the region, provoked intense debate and disagreement within the tribe (Bentley 2021). These tensions were also present between Din e community members as they debated the future of energy and development in the Navajo Nation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indigenous Youth and Decolonial Futures: Energy and Environmentalism among the Diné in the Navajo Nation and the Lepchas of Sikkim, India

Gergan

Curley

2021

Antipode

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In India and the United States, Lepcha and Din e youth are articulating decolonial futures that diverge from past aspirations. Rather than demanding big infrastructure such as dams or power plants, Indigenous youth forward decolonial visions that reimagine the landscape and energy technologies. In this article, we suggest that Lepcha and Din e activists are articulating a youthful decolonial futurity-a vision for the future where their generation and the ones to follow can flourish in their own territories and on their own terms. We propose youthful decolonial futurity as a prefigurative politics specific to Indigenous youth, who view their activism as integral to creating a future where their communities have more control over decision-making processes and their ancestral territories. What emerges is a consideration of the role of Indigenous youth in building a language and politics of decolonisation against the roles of power brokers, elites, and naysayers.

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Reconciliation of water conflicts? Coalition and contradiction in managing rivers in the Brahmaputra basin

Pittock

Kamruzzaman

et al. 2023

Mar. Freshw. Res.

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Context Transboundary sharing of river water is not just an international problem, it also cascades down to regional, state and local levels. Water cooperation in the Brahmaputra River basin among China, India, Bhutan and Bangladesh has long been contested. However, it is unclear how the four countries can cooperate and what the cornerstones for their cooperation might be. Aims Better transboundary management of Brahmaputra requires a new direction from the current situation of fragmented cooperation, conflicts and disputes in the region and increasing threats of climate change. Methods To explore possible consensus, we conducted an advocacy coalition assessment of the four countries on the basis of the heterogeneous ecosystem services valued by each nation. Key results Whereas China and India are focused on politics, Bangladesh and Bhutan are primarily concerned about the basin in physical terms. Although each nation values the Brahmaputra in different ways, it is possible to initiate strong collaboration on the basis of shared beliefs. We found that hydropower-supported energy transitions for clean and affordable energy supply meet the needs and expectations of all nations, especially under the threats of climate change. Conclusions A sustainable energy change coalition can help reduce carbon emissions, acquire green energy, irrigate land in dry seasons, and manage disasters and increasing runoffs from melting glaciers. We conclude our paper with insights for each nation and hydropower development as a whole that might help the nations manage the Brahmaputra River more sustainably by overcoming their unmatched or mismatched values and interest. Implications Water in shared rivers can raise regional conflicts, but it does not have to if mismatched deep core beliefs among nations can be avoided through cooperation.

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Protectors of the land and water: citizenship, territory and vulnerability among the Lepcha in Sikkim and West Bengal

Cited by 6 publications

References 34 publications

Coalition and contradiction in managing Brahmaputra: Opportunities for more hydropower?

Coalition and contradiction in managing Brahmaputra: Opportunities for more hydropower?

Indigenous Youth and Decolonial Futures: Energy and Environmentalism among the Diné in the Navajo Nation and the Lepchas of Sikkim, India

Reconciliation of water conflicts? Coalition and contradiction in managing rivers in the Brahmaputra basin

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