ABSTRACT
India’s northeastern region (NER), forged by a unique geological history and peopled by several waves of migration, is extraordinarily complex both ecologically and socio-culturally. It stretches from north Bengal through the eastern Himalaya to what were once ‘Greater Assam’ and the independent kingdoms of Manipur and Tripura, bordering on Southeast Asia. A continuously changing web of geological and bio-geographic factors shape the region’s varied topography and local climates. Its diverse peoples are an integral part of the dynamic environment of forests, wetlands and fields. In earlier times, farming served multiple functions and mixed land-use was a safeguard against environmental and economic hazards. The mountains in the region are dissected by geologically older rivers and their tributaries in a complex hydrological system from the northern watershed to its drainage into the Brahmaputra, Barak and Imphal rivers. The NER is extraordinarily verdant and fertile. The flora and fauna is yet to be comprehensively surveyed and documented.
