ABSTRACT
Majuli is a river island located amid the Brahmaputra River in Assam. The impacts of climate change have been felt in Majuli with continuous shifts in rainfall patterns as well as changes in the temperature. The river island has a complex composition of different ethnicities, through centuries developed livelihoods, knowledge systems according to the environmental risks of the river. This study focuses on how climate change is impacting and is likely to further impact the lives of people inhabiting Majuli. It aims at drawing insights into the human dimension of climate change and the plight of the local communities on account of such changes. Additionally, it explores the nature of resilience and coping strategies that people have evolved/are evolving to cope with the impact of climate change. This study adopts a qualitative research method. Qualitative analysis is undertaken to procure an understanding of the research problems subsumed within the study. The research design is descriptive as it describes the lived experiences of people/communities who have faced/ are facing various risks from climate change, as also the local knowledge system and resilience of the communities to manage the impacts that have been triggered by the climate change phenomena.
