Climatic Change and a Local Concern Nehemiah Rong The world is experiencing the drastic global climatic changes

in recent past. It has drawn the attention of climate scientists, industrialists, and policy and decision makers world wide to bring remedial measures to the warning that poses threat to the global population. As per UN report published in the print media, the temperature has been on the rise at the rate of 0.4 Degree Celsius to 0.6 degree Celsius after every decade. At this current rate, there is the possibility of even reaching the boiling point by 2100 AD. The causes amongst others as pointed out by the experts are due to the emissions of greenhouse gases, the natural disasters, the ice melting and the human activity. The seventh point of eight Millennium Development Goals to be achieved by 2015 AD targeted to ensure environment sustainability. Prime Minister of India, Dr.Manmohan Singh on his environment day message (2007) have said, The threat to climate change is real and unless we alter our lifestyles and pursue a sustainable model of development, our future will be at peril. He also spelled out Indias commitment in pursuing the environmentally sustainable development strategies by saying, while we have a long way to go in meeting the aspirations of our people and while we must ride out country of the scourge of poverty, ignorance and disease, we should do so in a manner that is environmentally sustainable. Man existence depends on the past legacy, the present exploitation and the future security. Present is built upon the past; the future will be built upon the present. Therefore, there is a need to check and balance, to monitor and manage the natural resources for the sustainable development in every front. Livelihood is everybodys target. To survive, to feed and to excel is human living Endeavour. People are often caught up in struggle for present livelihood compromising there future. Looking back those traditional days, the natural resources are less exploited as it is at present. The exploitation was crude but less in intensity. However, as modernity comes in the exploitation of any natural resources become more refine in a way and the intensity of extraction is higher and quicker. By the very nature creation North East India is connected to the rest of the Country (India) by narrow corridor at Siliguri which is often termed as Chicken Neck. The poor road condition is the main problem that hinders the smooth economic progress in the region in addition to so many social and political factors. In North East India, forest is one of the immediate wealth that the people are bestowed by the nature. Leave alone Assam which has got rich Oil depot and Meghalaya state with substantial mineral wealth, the other states has lesser such natural resources comparatively. The very economy of the tribal people living in hilly regions depends on slash and burn agriculture. Among others the problem that posses threat to the climatic change in the north east India is deforestation. It is rampant in forms of illegal timber business, the forest fire, jhum cultivation, extensive farming and firewood selling etc. Going to the interior rural villages impressed one with lots of thoughts to ponder. What will be the fate of these people tomorrow as their forest are being exploited in such a rapid pace? How far do they being aware of what is happening around them? The villages, which have got the rich forestland, it is not a surprised to see the shaktiman roads being bulldozed through the thickest part of jungle where sunray never penetrated centuries ago. However, the illusion created today is the barren and bald forest. Apart from the timber business the threat to forestland are jhuming, burning down of forest and present trend is the farm like, potato, and cabbage plantation, which demand of cutting down the forest trees in large scale and burning them down. Thus create ecological imbalance. The felled trees, bamboos and canes in the jungle are not collected properly but just wasted. The reason is mode of transportation is not possible in many places and even there is means, the cost of transportation is so high. Precious treasure of those fuel woods rot in the jungle. The treasure becomes a waste. The untimely rain (monsoon) is felt. The temperature is rising. The practical experience say so and which is supported by the findings for instance as per report of Environmental Research and Development

Laboratory of Environment and Ecology wing, Manipur, the state is witnessing in last few decades the rise in temperature of 0.1 degree Celsius every year. The main causes for climatic changes as pointed out by the said department are deforestation and filling of natural water bodies like lake and swampy areas. The question of how to judiciously utilize the natural resources at stake without being compromising its ill effects in the future is the concern of many if not of all. Villagers depend on forest land for grazing, firewood/fuelwood, jhuming, agro-horti farming et al. Villagers cut trees for firewood/fuelwood. Traditionally, the hilly tribal people living in Manipur State and Nagaland State maintain a regular period and season to cut/fell trees for their consumption. It is believed that when trees are cut periodically in particular season then the offshoot of the cut trees replenish and the productivity of the trees continue maintaining sort of ecological balance. Setting up of agro-based industries, small scale industries and the conversion of barren land to value added land through fruit tree plantation etc. will in long run help people to come out from the poverty and save the forest. Taking up plantation of cash crops, spices and other herbs that can be grown under existing forest or trees are needed to be encouraged in large scale. Unnecessary burning of forest should be checked and put to stop. To change the lifestyle of the people in remote north east India, the connectivity should be the topmost priority. Construction of rural roads brings multifaceted benefits. The road will link up the places of production to the market places. Also this will encourage people to judiciously utilize the barren lands for fruit tree plantation, orchard and other agro-horti-farm-forestry project Road construction will cut the forest again. However the extensive tree plantation along side of the newly constructed roads should be done. The trees felled while road making can be properly cut and sell out. The benefit generated out of that can be distributed for the wages of the villagers. It can also be used to buy saplings to plant trees along the roadside. To address this issue will in long run reduce the poverty and can bring environmentally sustainable development removing the heavy dependency in the forest land for timber business, fuel wood selling and unsystematic and unscientific farming system and jhuming cultivation that are very much prevalent in the states of Manipur and Nagaland and other parts of north east. Then come the creating of awareness among the people. Seminars and workshops are mostly held in the capital cities and towns. Back to village policy must be adopted even in spreading the message of environmentally sustainable development strategies. Seeing is believing can be a powerful philosophy for the villagers to be aware and response to the confronting issues such as deforestation. Although in most cases, the timber business is carried out by the some few privileged ones leaving the rest to negligible benefit. To the query how can the awareness be spread to the remotest parts of the villages, the answer demands of the strong will and effective use of technology to educate the public. The suggestion was made by this writer in one student conference related to environment is that, take a jeep make a ride to villages with laptop, generator (battery back up), LCD projector, take some documentaries film related to environment (human activity and its repercussion). Let the people come and watch the movies and at the end of it seek public opinions. Basing on their opinions some suggestive remedial measures can be framed alongwith the village leaders. That pool of opinions can later be adopted as resolutions towards conserving the forest and other natural resources. At the end analysis, the global warming is a global issue and threat and it is felt even here locally. It demands of the local concern and response towards it. Dr.Manmohan Singh said, the challenge before the people is to protect the environment and ensure the well-being of future generations, even as we seek to accelerate the pace of economic growth, pursue industrialization and the modernization of agriculture and improve the quality of life of our people. Towards sustainable development and environmental protection, the involvement and participation of local bodies like village councils/authorities, youth and student bodies, women organizations etc. at the grass root level is indispensable. It is needed to learn the traditional knowledge from the local people

on how to safe their forest wealth at the same time to secure their livelihood. Nevertheless, the local bodies are needed to be made aware of the modern scientific management knowledge towards developing the economy and to ensure environment sustainability. Though climatic change appears to be a global issue, yet it needs the local concern and response.