Marginlands: A Journey into India's Vanishing Landscapes by Arati Kumar-Rao is a collection of eloquent essays by a writer and photographer immersed in the environmental transformation of her subcontinental home. Kumar-Rao's observations about how "slow violence" is destroying Indian ecosystems contain sparks of cautious optimism ignited by the faith and resourcefulness of the farmers and shepherds who steward the land.
Kumar-Rao abandoned a lucrative corporate job to become an environmental storyteller, one who spends her time "gathering string" from the places she visits and weaving it to form a more refined, "just and equitable land ethic." This involves patiently witnessing the seasons in the desert, river, and glacial landscapes of her homeland and spending unhurried time with those most impacted by the dams, highway, pollution, and rising temperatures wreaking havoc on India's life-giving waters.
During months spent in the sand dunes of the Thar desert observing an ancient method of rainwater harvesting, Kumar-Rao admired how digging wells was a community effort for the benefit of all. "Water acknowledges no division of religion, caste or status," she observes; "in the desert you never deny anyone water." Regrettably, the desert dwellers armed with the muscle memory to " 'divine' water" are dwindling in number, and the lived language of the desert is being "officially undermined" by the authorities.
A National Geographic Explorer, Kumar-Rao includes textured black-and-white illustrations and reflections on mythology, which add a graceful dimension to her writing. She draws the attention of a global readership to the endangered treasures of India's stunning landscapes. --Shahina Piyarali