NE Focus Initiative: Climate change summit held in Guwahati

Guwahati: "Climate change is not a phenomenon of the modern era; it has been occurring since prehistoric times. However when there is chaos, there will be order" — With this thought-provoking statement challenging conventional perceptions of climate change, Dr. Arup Kumar Mishra, Chairman of the Assam Pollution Control Board, inaugurated an important summit on climate change at the NEDFi House Auditorium in Guwahati on Wednesday.

Organized by NE Focus, the conference titled "Climate Change Summit – A Call to Future" saw Dr. Mishra, an eminent environmental expert, express concern over society's current lack of genuine awareness and understanding regarding climate change and pollution. He pointed out that while people express worry over large-scale climate change issues, they remain unaware of pollution caused by household waste. 

Explaining climate change as a natural phenomenon, Dr. Mishra stated that prehistoric climate changes were nature-driven. Referring to religious texts, he suggested that the stories of great deluges are, in fact, representations of climate change. However, he emphasized that today’s climate change is man-made and stressed the importance of focusing on finer details to protect the Earth from the dangers posed by this human-induced crisis.

Dr. Mishra urged everyone to embrace the concept of "LiFE Mission" (Lifestyle for Environment), launched under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also highlighted India's proactive approach to addressing this global issue, mentioning the first-ever climate change conference planned to be held at the Maha Kumbh Mela on 16th of February.

Sangeeta Saikia, Editor of NE Focus, expressed gratitude to all attendees and stated that the conference aimed to raise awareness and foster discussions on environmental threats and related public health risks.

Notably, several experts participated in this one-day conference, contributing to two key discussions.

Key Panel Discussions

The first panel discussion was on the topic "Infrastructure Development and Environmental Sustainability: Challenges and Opportunities for Northeast India" Moderated by Jayanta Pathak, Head of the Environmental Education and Capacity Building Division of NGO Aaranyak, the discussion emphasized the need for balancing infrastructure development with environmental conservation. Pathak highlighted the importance of proper planning that considers the socio-cultural and bio-geographical characteristics of the regions where infrastructure projects are proposed. 

   Stressing the necessity of development tailored to local conditions, he remarked that Kautilya’s Arthashastra also gave emphasis on environmental factors in development strategies. 

  Dr. Simanta Kalita*, CEO of Atal Incubation Center, emphasized the importance of considering both current resources and future goals in developmental planning. Referring to the Northeast India, he noted that since crops like rice and bamboo are dominant, any development plan ignoring them cannot be considered sustainable. Dr. Kalita also advocated for the proper use of traditional knowledge. 

   Rizwan Uz Zaman, Senior Consultant of Assam Climate Change Management, stressed the need for dynamic systems thinking in planning and recommended following the 75 principles of Mission LiFE. He highlighted the necessity of prioritizing environmental concerns when planning development projects, especially in sensitive ecosystems like Northeast India.

 In another discussion on the topic "Empowering Local Actions: Community-Led Climate Change Initiatives"  Dr. Nivedita Guru, a scientist from the Rainforest Research Institute in Jorhat, presented examples of successful community-driven environmental conservation projects in Northeast India. She profoundly remarked, *"Climate change is a global problem, but its solutions are local." 

Dr. Ritusmita Goswami, Assistant Professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, explained how individuals can contribute to combating climate change through personal actions.

The environment-focused summit, organized by the leading news portal group NE Focus, witnessed enthusiastic participation from students of several prominent colleges in Guwahati, fostering vibrant discussions on sustainable development and climate resilience in the region.