Experts Call for State-Specific Climate Action Plans at National Seminar on Northeast India

New Delhi, July 6: A national seminar on the “Impact of Climate Change on Northeast India” was held on Saturday at the Constitution Club of India, bringing together environmental experts, journalists, academics, and civil society to deliberate on the region’s growing climate vulnerabilities and the need for grassroots-led climate action.

Jointly organised by the South Asian Climate Change Journalists’ Forum and the North East Media Forum, the event focused on the alarming ecological shifts being experienced in Northeast India — one of the most climate-sensitive zones in the eastern Himalayan foothills. The region is increasingly facing frequent floods, landslides, droughts, and other climate-induced disasters.

In his keynote presentation, Dr Kiranmay Sarma, Professor at the School of Environment Management, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, underscored the cascading impacts of climate change across the region. Drawing from his extensive research, he highlighted how geospatial technologies and remote sensing tools can play a vital role in environmental monitoring and disaster mitigation.

Dr Sarma also emphasized the value of indigenous knowledge systems in biodiversity conservation and climate resilience. Responding to a question on water scarcity, he noted that remote sensing has helped identify aquifers in the sacred groves of Meghalaya, demonstrating its practical applications in the region.

Souparna Lahiri of the Climate Land Ambition and Rights Alliance stressed the need for each northeastern state to formulate its own climate action policy. Criticising the current top-down approach, Lahiri called for community-led planning that integrates local knowledge and experiences.

“Climate action plans are often drafted by external consultants. What we need is a bottom-up policy framework developed in consultation with the affected communities,” Lahiri said.

CK Nayak, General Secretary of the South Asian Climate Change Journalists’ Forum, pointed out the fragmented approach to tackling climate issues in the Northeast. “We need a comprehensive strategy addressing the root causes like deforestation and unsustainable land use to build a truly climate-resilient future,” he said.

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President of the North East Media Forum, Sanjib Kumar Baruah, in his remarks, urged immediate and coordinated action to combat the mounting climate crisis, while journalist Ankur Kalita delivered the welcome address. The vote of thanks was offered by Pranjal Pratim Das, General Secretary of the North East Media Forum.

The seminar was attended by a wide range of participants, including journalists, environmentalists, researchers, government officials, and students. A key highlight of the event was the release of the journal NE Climate 2025 – Documenting the Changing Climate of North East India, edited by Asish Gupta, CK Nayak, and Huidrom Authoba Meetei.