Climate Change
Impacts on Forests and the Livelihoods of Tribal People of Northeast India
Sarma Kiranmay and Kalita Kamaleswar
Disaster Advances; Vol. 14(10); 40-45;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/1410da4045; (2021)
Abstract
The degradation of forest lands has severe impacts on the environment and livelihoods
of the people including health and socio-economic condition. One of the main drivers
of forest degradation is slash-and-burn agriculture practiced traditionally in the
hills of tropics and it accounts 60 percent global forest loss every year. In northeast
India, this method of agriculture is practiced extensively and about 0.45 million
families are involved in this activity. The forest area covered annually by this
cultivation is about 10,000 km2. At present in northeast, the estimated land under
shifting cultivation or jhum is estimated to be 44,000 km2. Loss of forests due
to shifting cultivation has caused many problems ranging from floods to aridity
and catastrophic losses to water quality. Besides, burnt practices of biomass release
GHG (greenhouse gases) and this could play significant role for climate vulnerability
in the region like northeast.
Climate vulnerability significantly affects the traditional matriarchal society
in many parts of tribal areas, socio-economic and ecological conditions, health
and the livelihoods. In all these aspects, women are the most sufferers and vulnerable.
The increasing numbers of flash floods in this region destroy the standing crops
and damage the down slope areas with the debris carried by the flood water. This
becomes a regular event during the rainy seasons. The rich customs and traditions
of the tribal people help to develop some innovative strategies using locally available
resources to overcome this type of unwanted situations.
