Environmental Intimacies from India’s North East

This book explores the intimate relationship of the people of North East India with the environment as evinced from their traditional beliefs, cultural practices, and livelihood. It offers insights into the challenges and adaptability of communities through actions ensuring conservation of the environment yet sustaining their livelihood.

The book encompasses movement toward responsible actions and the engagement of communities in pro-environmental behavior. It showcases the various practices, knowledge, and debates on the environment-behavior relationship of the people of North East India. It brings into focus some of the daunting environmental issues and the endeavors for sustenance that is true to a region which is rich in ecological diversity and touches the spirit and psyche of its people.

This volume will be of interest to scholars and researchers of psychology, anthropology, sociology, environmental sciences, development studies, law and governance, environmental administration, and South Asia studies.

Indranee Phookan Borooah teaches in the Department of Psychology at Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam, India, as a professor. During her long career her focus in research has been positive psychology. The positive social and cultural experiences of people have attracted curiosity in her, especially in the context of positive cultural psychology of North East India. Her current research is on some cultural aspects of Assam. She has been awarded for her contributions to school psychology in India, with special focus on North East India, and for teaching, research, and administration.

Bidita Das is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Handique Girls’ College, Guwahati, Assam, India. She is a certified Positive Psychology Practitioner from School of Positive Transformation, USA. Her core research interest lies in positive psychological aspects of human behaviour. She is involved in several non-governmental organizations working in the areas of mental health and youth.

Sabiha Alam Choudhury teaches in the Department of Psychology Mizoram University, Aizawl India as an assistant professor. Her area of specialization is positive psychology and marriage and family counselling. She is a certified CBT therapist and motivational interviewing trainer. She has been conducting training and awareness programs in several areas in North East India and was awarded the best performance award for extraordinary contribution to school psychology in India.