What will happen to our commons? Contesting discourses and the future of the wetlands in peri-urban Guwahati, India

Abstract

Guwahati, a rapidly urbanising city in Northeast India, has several depleted wetlands in and around peri-urban areas.  There remains a significant gap in understanding how different and often contesting discourses shape these wetlands’ perception, use and governance. This research, therefore, addresses the key question: How are the discourses surrounding Guwahati’s wetlands contested? We argue that the state primarily wants to use wetlands to drive urban development; a discourse reinforced by elite practices and citizen’s (urban) development aspirations. This reflects a growing detachment from these ecosystems and a clear progression towards state control and commodification, where wetlands are transformed from urban commons and meaningful ‘places’ into abstract, consumerist ‘spaces’. These discourses are challenged by certain environmentally aware residents and civil society groups who advocate for preserving wetlands. These contestations illustrate the complex and conflicting values attributed to (peri)urban wetlands, where, currently, the state’s development agenda seems to take precedence, and wetlands are increasingly commodified.