Congratulations!Sonali John successfully presented her MSc thesis

13 February 2023

Photo: private

Her thesis "Climate Change and Internal Migration in Assam, India: Exploring Flood Responses of the People of Majuli through an Agent-Based Model" was supervised by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Scheffran (Universität Hamburg) and Dr. Md. Nadiruzzaman (Universität Hamburg).

Sonali investigated the impacts of recurrent annual flooding and riverbank erosion in the river island of Majuli, located in Assam, northeastern India. There have been numerous studies focusing on the hydrology of the region and possible engineering developments to protect the island from future damage. However, very few studies look into the numerous existing ways in which the population of Majuli, primarily indigenous peoples, adapt to annual floods. In her thesis, Sonali has tried to explore the decision-making process behind the different responses that people can have to recurring floods and how this might evolve in a changing climate. She has done this by developing an agent-based model and integrating it with a river-runoff model. Sonali primarily found that more people choose to migrate away from flooded zones than the number of people who decide to stay and utilise their resources to elevate their homes. She also found that an increasing number of people cluster around urban centres which may have an effect on the labour market and the economy of the district in the future.

Sonali did her thesis in the Climate Change and Security (CLISEC) group at the University of Hamburg where she also worked as a student assistant.

In the future, Sonali plans on continuing to develop the agent-based model to study internal migration in Assam and continue working on her research in the United States."