The Overlooked Piece of India’s Climate Action Puzzle 

North-East India’s climate initiatives hold untapped potential in driving India’s broader climate action goals.

North-East (NE) India – an amalgamation of eight states widely known for its rich biodiversity, natural resources, diverse indigenous communities, and cultural diversity, yet often garners little attention and recognition for its amazing contribution to addressing global climate change. The region covers approximately 8% of India’s land area and has a broad range of physiographic zones, including the snow-capped Himalayas, lush tropical and subtropical forests, and extensive floodplains. Because of its physical location and climate, the NE region is also considered a global biodiversity hotspot. 

The region covers approximately 8% of India’s land area, and is a global biodiversity hotspot.

4 out of the 34 global biodiversity hotspots are found in India. The NE states hold one of the largest forest areas in the country resulting in having significant carbon sequestration ability. Furthermore, due to low population density, these states have one of the lowest per capita carbon emissions in the country. Some of the states like Arunachal Pradesh are even considered to be carbon neutral.   

The NE states hold one of the largest forest areas in the country resulting in having significant carbon sequestration ability. 

However, due to various anthropogenic (human-induced) and natural factors, NE India is changing. Rainfall patterns in the region have changed dramatically during the previous century, resulting in an overall drying up. The region bears the brunt of climate change, and its influence has multiplied in the last decade. In the last 2–3 decades, the region has experienced severe floods, destructive landslides, forest fires, increased insect pest infestation, and the drying of mountain springs and watersheds, resulting in water scarcity. As per the 2021 National Climate Vulnerability Assessment report of the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Department of Science and Technology, out of the eight highly vulnerable states of India, three states, namely Assam, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh, are from NE India. The region faces issues distinctly different from other regions of the country.   

Tackling the adverse impacts of climate change in the region requires a holistic approach to cater to the needs and aspirations of its population. In this regard, many policy-level impact works are happening across the NE region that often do not get due recognition. For example, in the State of Tripura, the Directorate of Biotechnology in collaboration with multiple departments and Civil Society Organizations like Climate Group is implementing a project called Bio-village 2.0. 

Bio-village 2.0 uses a holistic approach to ensure the sustainable development of model villages in the state. It focuses on three pillars: socio-economic growth, sustainable development, and biodiversity conservation. It uniquely employs a bottom-up approach, allowing beneficiaries to influence project design and implementation.  

The program provides multi-enterprise support, enhancing community adaptability to climate change. Involving various stakeholders, including state departments and local communities, the initiative combines components from sectors like agriculture, horticulture, animal resources, fisheries, and renewable energy. Notably, the dynamic nature of the program allows for component substitution based on locality capacity and community needs. Emphasizing income generation and expenditure reduction, Bio-village 2.0 integrates technology, multi-stakeholder engagement, and community-based design for long-term community resilience. 

The Pakke Declaration 2047 is another one-of-a-kind policy initiative from the State of Arunachal Pradesh. The uniqueness of this policy is that while India set its Net Zero target by 2070, Arunachal Pradesh – as part of the Pakke Declaration – aims to achieve similar objectives by 2047. This has created a new ambition among the states to take the step forward and contribute to getting its net zero commitment before the national target. It makes Arunachal Pradesh one of the first sub-national ministerial-level climate declarations in India. 

The policy is designed through time-bound targets with short (2023), medium (2030), and long-term target (2047) actions. The policy revolves around five sectors also known as “Panch Dharas”:  

1. Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (3 pillars and 23 strategies) 

2. Health and Well-being of All (1 pillar and 7 strategies) 

3. Sustainable and Adaptive Living (2 pillars and 15 strategies) 

4. Livelihoods and Opportunities (3 pillars and 15 strategies) 

5. Evidence Generation and Collaborative Action (3 pillars and 10 strategies) 

The five domains are further divided into 12 major pillars and 75 strategies. These strategies align with India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and complement the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, and the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction 2030. 

The Pakke Tiger Reserve 2047 Declaration on Climate Change Resilient and Responsive Arunachal Pradesh serves as a testament to the state government’s commitment to climate action and sets an inspiring example for other regions and nations grappling with similar challenges. By implementing this policy, Arunachal Pradesh aspires to contribute to the global fight against climate change and pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient future, both within its borders and beyond.  

Arunachal Pradesh aspires to contribute to the global fight against climate change and pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient future.

Another example is from the State of Meghalaya. As India sets ambitious climate action targets conveyed in its NDCs, states are working to develop and revise their State Action Plan on Climate Change to conform to these ambitious goals. While most states strive to lower their GHG emissions, Meghalaya is leading the way showcasing how nature-based economics and value chains will conserve the vibrant ecological and biotic regimes while fostering sustainable livelihood opportunities as we seek to transition to a net-zero economy considering the adverse impacts of climate change. 

Meghalaya’s new development concept called the “Environment State” is a five-point strategic framework that aims to integrate nature into economic planning and create a new paradigm of nature-based economics. It seeks to develop ecological regions as special Climate Action Zones (just like India’s Special Economic Zones) as an opportunity to create viable economies around it with incentives and subsidies for climate-sensitive brands, products, and organizations. There are initiatives for skilling and training forest-dwelling communities to opt for eco-tourism and forest-based livelihoods.  

Forest and traditional medicine are also being promoted as alternative wellness therapies. Meghalaya has launched the Payment for Eco-System Services Scheme in the East Khasi Hills District which provides remuneration to forest-based communities to conserve natural ecosystems along with the initiation of a pilot scheme – “Conservation Basic Income” with more than 14,000 youth being trained in forest management. 

The new paradigm of nature and biodiversity economics aims to create a slew of nature-based livelihood opportunities to ensure a just transition while facilitating access to global climate finances. Meghalaya offers a model of sustainable practices that other states might emulate to contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future. 

These are just a few examples of the actions taken in the NE. However, most of these policies and actions are not being amplified across the region due to a lack of financial and technical resources and government backing. One of the reasons for this is that they are not being highlighted sufficiently on a national and international platform for their impact. 

Thus, what we need is to create a platform for the region, so that it gets due recognition for its immense indigenous and local climate adaptive work in driving climate action. Climate Group’s North East Climate Forum held on 02 August 2024 was one such attempt to provide that necessary platform to bring out a unified voice. Highlighting such actions on a national and global platform provides the much-needed hope and strength to expand such programs in a national and international context and secure resources accordingly.   

In this regard, India’s Act East Policy, which focuses on NE India as the gateway to Southeast Asia through building strategic ties and strengthening connectivity with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations could be one of the ways. Although the Act East Policy focuses mostly on infrastructure development, it also allows us to pause and think about how we can undergo this development in a sustainable and ecologically conscious manner. That’s where the role of institutions like the North Eastern Council becomes much more significant to drive economic and social development in the region in a climate-conscious way. 

Therefore, understanding the region’s unique climatic challenges, identifying existing solutions that give results, and getting them recognized on a national level to help them expand can turn out to be the missing piece in India’s climate action puzzle which has unfortunately been overlooked for decades.  

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For more REVOLVE Sustainable India articles, try 5 Myths about India’s Energy Transition, or the interview with Norway’s former Climate Minister about India’s sustainable solutions in the Indian state of Gujarat.