Spectacular Conservation: The rewilding of Majuli Island

Majuli, located in Assam on the Brahmaputra River, is the world’s largest inhabited river island. Over the past century, severe recurrent flooding and intense riverbank erosion have reduced its landmass from approximately 1,250 km² in the early 20th century to under 500–550 km². In response, both grassroots community movements and institutional initiatives have driven ecological rewilding and bio-engineering interventions across the island.

Key Drivers of Ecological Degradation

• Riverbank Erosion & Siltation: The fragile alluvial soils and shifting braided channels of the Brahmaputra wash away large tracts of fertile floodplains every monsoon season.
• Wetland (Beel) Choking: Unregulated silt deposits, encroaching invasive aquatic species (such as water hyacinth), and altered flood cycles have disconnected traditional beels (wetlands) from major channels like the Tuni River, disrupting natural fish breeding and migratory bird stops.
• Loss of Native Vegetative Buffers: Historic deforestation and sandbar desertification left extensive riverbanks exposed directly to the high velocity of floodwaters.

Earler: The eroded banks of Majuli Island

Grassroots Rewilding: The Molai Forest Model

The most prominent example of rewilding on Majuli is the Molai Forest, an ecological reserve spanning roughly 1,360 acres (550 hectares) on an arid sandbar (chapori).

Barren Sandbar (1979) ➔ Pioneer Planting (Bamboo) ➔ Native Canopy Expansion ➔ Self-Regulating Ecosystem

• Pioneer Planting (1979–1980s): Initiated single-handedly by Padma Shri awardee Jadav “Molai” Payeng, early rewilding relied on fast-growing native bamboo (Bambusoideae) to bind loose sand dunes and build soil organic matter.
• Canopy Diversification: Gradual introduction of endemic flora—including Arjun (Terminalia arjuna), Ejar (Lagerstroemia speciosa), Silk Cotton (Bombax ceiba), Moj (Archidendron bigeminum), and Koroi (Albizia procera).
• Faunal Succession: The restored habitat now supports an apex predator population and major wildlife migrations, including Royal Bengal tigers, greater one-horned rhinoceroses, deer, and an annual visiting herd of over 100 Asian elephants.

Jadav Payeng inspecting his created forest

Institutional & Bio-Engineering Strategies

Alongside community-led afforestation, state and national agencies have implemented complementary conservation measures: StrategyMechanismEcological Objective Vegetative Bio-ShieldsPlanting native reed grasses, vetiver, and bamboo beltsAnchors shoreline topsoil, reducing bank slumping during monsoon surges. RCC Porcupines & Geo-TextilesPermeable river screens combined with silt-trapping geo-bagsDissipates flow velocity, facilitating natural silt deposition rather than scouring. Wetland & Channel ReconnectionDesilting feeder inlets and reviving the Tuni river networkRestores water oxygenation, native fisheries, and migratory bird habitats. Eco-Friendly LivelihoodsUtilization of harvested water hyacinth for handicrafts and compostingRemoves choking aquatic weeds while creating sustainable local employment.

Now: It’s a thriving forest with full of wildlife

Conservation Challenges & Future Outlook

1. Human-Wildlife Interaction: As large mammals (especially wild elephant herds) seek refuge in newly restored forest corridors, nearby farming communities face crop damage and human-wildlife conflicts.
2. Hydrological Volatility: Unpredictable upstream discharge and sediment loads require dynamic, catchment-wide river basin management rather than isolated island-level fixes.
3. Scaling the Model: The success of Molai Forest demonstrates that natural regeneration, once seeded with resilient pioneer species, creates self-sustaining ecosystems capable of acting as natural flood buffers. Expanding this template to adjacent sandbars remains a primary ecological goal for stabilizing Majuli’s riverine perimeter.