Climate Change Lessons from Assam

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The riverine island of Assam-Majuli, in the North-eastern part of India, is affected by floods and river erosion during the monsoonal period.

In 2017, during the flood season, the early warning dissemination from upper riparian states indicated a possible breach in the dam could inundate the low-lying village areas.

I reached the village of Karotipar to rehabilitate the locals to the relief camps. The Mishing tribes consist of the majority of residents in the flood-affected village.

The inhabitants build high-stilt traditional houses (designed with century-old architectural knowledge, which allows them to stay safe along rivers and during high flood seasons for ages).

Majuli Island Settlement 1 — Settlements at Majuli Island, Assam, India (Photos by: Pallav Gopal Jha)

Majuli Island Settlement 2 — Settlements at Majuli Island, Assam, India (Photos by: Pallav Gopal Jha)

The tribal groups usually stay close to their belongings, anticipating the loss of livestock and property during flood season.

I talked to the village head to rehabilitate the households to the government relief camps. Thousands of people and animals were eventually sheltered.

That year, the beautiful, pristine Majuli Island, nestled amid the mighty Brahmaputra River, faces its worst floods in the decade.

After sunset that day, the upper reaches receive heavy rainfall, and the water of the Subansiri River rises almost 5 feet in a few hours.

We started receiving emergency calls from the village head pleading for help. My phone battery died soon after the communication.

The response mechanisms are challenging post-daytime, and the possibility of loss of life rises even more. Despite timely early-warning system (EWS) dissemination and preparedness, huge losses and damages were incurred that year.

What has changed?

Has the river morphology or the frequency of extreme weather events changed? I also often wonder has the human-environment relationship of coexistence or the human perceptibility of environment and lifestyle has changed.

I talked to the village head to rehabilitate the households to the government relief camps. Thousands of people and animals were eventually sheltered.

Or, as the Mishing tribes say – “Everything has changed.”

Everything has changed

Floods in Majuli, Assam 13 July, 2017. (Photo by Government of India)

The world is committed to climate resilience, but risks are increasing manifold

International initiatives like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement promote climate adaptation measures to combat climate change through cooperation and collaboration.

This sets a stage of hope to address climate challenges in vulnerable regions like South Asia. While the world is committed to resilience, climatic impacts are becoming more severe and increasing the communities’ susceptibility.

In the last few years, events like heat waves, wildfires in the European and South American region, extreme cyclonic events in Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and erosion and floods in South Asia were witnessed.

The impact was exacerbated due to increased population, conflicts, and limited communities’ access to basic resources.

The COVID-19 crisis response mechanism was also complex. Apart from following the ‘social distancing norms’ to ensure safety, the basic resources had to be accessible to people across multiple locations.

This was different than flood and cyclone response mechanisms, which start with rehabilitating the affected communities in safe centers till normalcy is attained.

The pandemic demanded a paradigm shift in disaster response strategy as the socio-economic vulnerabilities were manifold, and existing risks can cause triggers leading to climatic disasters.

Stage of hope to address climate adaptation and resilience

India builds efficient climate strategies through its various policy interventions, international cooperation, and collaboration to implement ‘human-nature interaction’ actions at the grassroots level.

The strategies integrate traditional best practices and knowledge that have prevailed through centuries.

For example, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF), Government of India, announced G20’s first environment and sustainability group, emphasizing blue economy and coastal sustainability, restoration of degraded lands, and ecosystems enhancement of biodiversity and strengthening of the circular economy.

India is also a Party to the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement. Under the Paris Agreement in 2015, India submitted its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) based on climate change priorities, sustainable development, poverty eradication, and economic growth.

In August 2022, India updated its NDC targets to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030 from the 2005 level.

Further, in November 2022, India submitted its Long-Term Low-Carbon Development Strategy. India’s long-term strategy lays the pillars of low-carbon development pathways.

The political will and leadership of the Chief Minister of Assam, Dr. Himanata Biswa Sharma, drives the implementation of such strategies.

Forest Man Documentary (Polygon Window Productions and Title Media)

What other climate change lessons can be learned from Assam, India?

Within the Jan Bhagidari (public participation), a mega plantation initiative called “Amrit Briskshya Andolan” (afforestation drive) is being taken up.

In the social context, the Indian traditional wisdom of “vasudaiv kutumbkum” which means one earth, one family, one future value of all life, and interconnectedness of each other in the universe, promotes living in harmony with the ecosystem.

The idea of “Terraforming,” explored in the book The Nutmeg’s Curse by Amitav Ghosh, also explains how new ideas seek resource control and expansion.

It can change the indigenous way of life and cause turmoil. Climatic events witnessed across urban cities worldwide and India can have similar impacts. This can be addressed through policy interventions to combat long-term impacts.

Within this context, the dynamic changes in the landscape created by human interventions can be reversed using Nature-based Solutions (NbS).

Jadav Molai Payeng, a Mishing tribal man of Majuli, developed one such NbS initiative. He created a thriving ‘Molai Forest’ of 1360 acres, now home to tigers, deer, monkeys, etc.

Through his work, he has highlighted the advantages of NbS by creating a flourishing environment and reducing the risks of flooding and erosion.

Majuli Island serves as a reminder that climate resilience encompasses both adapting to new realities and harnessing indigenous knowledge to forge harmonious alliances with nature.

Pallav Gopal Jha is the District Commissioner of Kamrup Metro District in Assam, India.

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Climate Change Lessons and Local Government Experiences from Assam, India

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homolata

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