Northeast’s Fragile Ecology Under Threat: Experts Call for People-Centric Climate Policies

New Delhi, July 6: Climate change is neither an abstract nor a supernatural phenomenon. It is entirely anthropogenic– meaning, it is the result of human activities. This message was conveyed to the people of Northeast India during a national-level seminar titled “Impact of Climate Change on Northeast India,” jointly organized by the North East Media Forum and the South Asian Climate Change Journalists Forum, India at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi.

Held on Saturday, the seminar recognized Northeast India as an ecologically sensitive zone located at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas. The discussion covered a wide range of issues arising from climate change in the region, including ecological imbalance, the departure of farmers from traditional agriculture, and changes in local food habits.

Professor Dr. Kiranmay Sharma from the School of Environment Management, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, elaborated on various technological interventions that could help mitigate climate change. In his presentation, he demonstrated how geospatial and remote sensing technologies can be used to study environmental impacts and formulate informed responses.

Souparna Lahiri from Forest and Climate Policy, Climate Land Ambition and Rights Alliance, speaking as a long-time environmental activist, emphasized the role of human society behind the phenomenon of climate change. He explained, with several examples, that climate change is essentially a response to human activities. Lahiri also questioned the government’s approach, pointing out that climate-related policies are often framed without consulting local communities. Instead, governments rely on consultancy services from large corporate firms to draft blueprints for climate action.

According to him, what is needed is a policy rooted in the ground realities– one that empowers local communities to contribute with their traditional knowledge and experiences toward preventive measures and sustainable solutions.

North East Media Forum President Sanjib Kumar Barua and South Asian Climate Change Journalists Forum, India’s General Secretary C.K. Nayak also shed light on the impacts of climate change in the Northeast during the seminar.

In line with the seminar, both organizations released a journal titled “Northeast Climate 25: Documenting the Changing Climate of Northeast India.” The journal was edited by Ashish Gupta, President of the South Asian chapter of the Climate Change Journalists Forum and a senior journalist, along with C.K. Nayak, General Secretary of the forum’s India chapter.

A vote of thanks was delivered by North East Media Forum General Secretary Pranjal Pratim Das, and the seminar was moderated by journalist Ankur Kalita.