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"What will happen to the commons?" Contesting discourses and the future of the wetlands in urbanising Guwahati, India

Hilde Nijland
Sociology of Development and Change, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands; hilde_nijland99@hotmail.com

Sumit Vij
Sociology of Development and Change, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands; sumit.vij@wur.nl

Jeroen Warner
Sociology of Development and Change, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands; jeroen.warner@wur.nl

ABSTRACT: Urban wetlands are essential for sustaining biodiversity, mitigating floods and supporting livelihoods, yet they are among the planet’s most threatened ecosystems. In Guwahati, a rapidly urbanising capital city in Northeast India, wetlands are a critical urban commons. They are shared spaces managed and used by urban communities, and are vital to collective wellbeing. They currently face threats from urban agglomeration, and there remains a significant gap in the understanding of how different and often contesting discourses shape perceptions, uses and governance of these wetlands. This research, therefore, addresses the key question: How are the discourses surrounding Guwahati’s wetlands contested? Employing critical discourse analysis, data collection methods included semi-structured interviews with residents across Guwahati and field observations in the two wetland areas of Deepor Beel and Silsako Beel. Findings suggest that the state (municipal and other line agencies) primarily frames wetlands as a resource for driving urban development – a discourse that is reinforced by the state’s practices. 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, commercialised 'spaces'. These discourses are used by both the state and several residents, but are challenged by environmentally conscious residents and civil society groups advocating for wetland preservation. These contestations illustrate the complex and conflicting values attributed to urban wetlands. Currently, the state’s modernity agenda seems to take precedence, resulting in their increasing commodification.

KEYWORDS: Urban commons, contested discourses, wetlands, Guwahati, India