Coastal Environments in Global Asia — Long Rivers, Deep Histories

Rivers connect and divide Asia. Himalayan sourced rivers provide water for almost half the world’s population, in east, south, central, and southeast Asia, crossing the boundaries of nearly every state in these regions before reaching ocean shores. The headwaters and delta of the Tigris likewise connect and divide West Asian states. What do these histories look like in a comparative, connected, and collective perspective?

Historians have long studied how people adapt to riverine environments, which count among the most important site of early settlements, states, and population growth. Now we are learning much more about how histories shape rivers and the livelihoods they sustain. Panelists with expertise across Asia reflect on new and enduring questions, older and more recent trends in scholarship, and on how the concept of the Anthropocene changes the way we practice history.

Coastal Environments in Global Asia Conference

Monsoon Asia’s coasts and islands supported most of the world’s pre-modern sea trade. They sustained empires. Now, they host the world’s largest ports and support most global shipping. They lie in the world’s most hotly contested sea lanes and face catastrophic effects of climate change.

In this six-part webinar series, Global Asia research centers and initiatives from NYU, NYU Shanghai, and NYU Abu Dhabi share findings from their joint three-year research project, “Port City Environments in Global Asia” (funded by the Luce Foundation) and offer a first look at new research agendas for the years ahead.

March 4 — Coastal Precarity and Managed Retreat Shaping Global Asia
Hosted by May Joseph, featuring Godfrey Baldacchino, Alexis Dudden, Sudipta Sen and Nitya Jacob.

March 11 — Mapping Coastal Environments: Homelands of Globalization
With Marina Kaneti (NUS), David Ludden (NYU) and Vidhya Raveendranationan (NYU Shanghai)

March 18 — Coastal Development and Coastal Livelihoods
Hosted by Vidhya Raveendranathan, featuring the EquiP project (Madras Institute of Development Studies/ French institute Pondicherry) and Sridhar Rao.

March 25 — Himalayan Water Security: An Unfolding Global Challenge
With David Michel (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute), Sophia Kalantzakos (NYU/AD), and Mark Swislocki (NYUAD)

April 1 — Long Rivers, Deep Histories
Hosted by Sunil Amrith and featuring Ruth Mostern, Faisal Hussain, Maya Peterson, and Hieu Phung.

April 8 — Belts and Roads in Environmental Perspective
With Maria Adele Carrai, Sophia Kalantazakos, Yifei Li, and Ayesha Omer