India, Nov. 12 -- I hear echoes of wailing
O' foreigner friend, ill-fated
- Bhupen Hazarika, 'Chameli Memsahib'
Environment has played an important role in human history. From the rise and fall of empires to trade, wars and conquests, the changing pattern of the environment has shaped the course of the story of the people of the earth. In this story, water has played the most important role. Cities were formed around sources of water and civilizations were destroyed by water. Water has caused the most massive recorded displacements and loss. In India today, as thousands struggle to prove their citizenship, many have been reduced to the status of climate refugees because erosion or floods have swept their lands.
The National Register of...