Living with floods

The people of Matmora and Majgaon villages in the Brahmaputra basin in Assam, India belong to the Assamese and Mishing communities. Both communities have mechanisms for coping with floods. However, in recent times floods have become more intense and have overwhelmed the traditional coping approaches. Increased deposition of sand and regular breaching of the embankments have disrupted the economic base. People must live with the floods, and while finding solutions for their problems, they are forced to challenge their traditional cultural practices.