Correspondent
SILAPATHAR, 22 Feb: A national seminar on climate change and its impacts on agriculture and farmers’ lives was held here in Assam’s Dhemaji district on Friday.
The two-day seminar, titled ‘Climate change and social, economic, ecological structural interface: An approach towards adaptation strategies for bioresource conservation’, was sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) and supported by Tinsukia College (Assam), Pasighat-based North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Folk Medicine Research (NEIAFMR), and the Orchid Society of Assam.
Dr Ajit K Tamuli, a professor at Assam University (Diphu campus) said that “unprecedented” climate change has caused big impact on weather in the northeastern region, affecting agriculture and horticulture activities and farmers’ livelihoods.
“Climate change is not only affecting the ecosystems but also socioeconomic condition of the people,” Dr Tamuli said, and underscored the need for taking urgent actions to combat climate change and its impacts.
Dr Bhabesh Gogoi, a soil scientist at Jorhat-based Assam Agriculture University, said that “drastic change” in the weather patterns in the region is causing great worry among the farmers. Dr Gogoi laid stress on adopting climate-resilient crops.
Another resource person, Prof Dr Kento Kadu from JN College, Pasighat gave a presentation on traditional fishing methods of tribal communities of Arunachal Pradesh. Dr Kadu encouraged the use of such traditional fishing methods, which, he said, are eco-friendly and don’t damage the aquatic ecosystem.
The technical session on the inaugural day was followed by a discussion on the traditional healing system of Northeast India, wherein botanist of Pasighat-based NEIAFMR Dr Amal Bawri highlighted the existing ethno-medicinal practices of the tribal communities, and stressed on their proper documentation.
