EXPLORING THE INTER-LINKAGE: ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS, MIGRATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

Environmentalproblems are multidisciplinary in nature. Environmental conditions, both favourable and extreme, have been the cause of displacement of people around the world. Recent studies have predicted that in the near future more people are likely to migrate due to environment related factors. Environmental stress drives migration forcing people to go in search of shelter and livelihood. But this in turn has put on an additional burden on the resources by encroaching on the new environment thereby increasing the fragility and degradation of the local environment leading to urban environment problems. This paper is an attempt to study the condition of environmental migrants and establish their linkage with environmental stress and environmental degradation. The paper particularly focuses on Guwahati, the gateway to Northeast India and how the migrants are facing the burden of environmental stress as they are exposed to new vulnerabilities.