Workshop on climate change adaptation: Priorities for research, policy, and practices in north east India

Background

The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region is highly dynamic, geo-ecologically and socioeconomically, with numerous natural and anthropogenic drivers of change, including climate change, at play. The rise in frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events triggered by climate change and other drivers are resulting in high economic and social costs. The Himalayan region and the downstream areas that depend on its water supply and ecosystem services, including the Indo-Gangetic and the Brahmaputra plains – ‘the grain basket of South Asia’ – are particularly vulnerable to these changes.

Several studies, including some by ICIMOD, have indicated that North East India is particularly vulnerable to the climatic and other changes. The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) also acknowledges this, and accordingly a number of government programmes and other projects have initiated climate change focused research and actions.

ICIMOD in collaboration with Aaranyak, one of the HICAP partners in India, is carrying out field research in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in the Eastern Brahmaputra River Basin (EBRB) on issues related to ecosystem-based adaptation, enhancing community resilience to water induced hazards, and migration. A Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity Assessment (VACA) has also been conducted in seven districts in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Organized in partnership with Aaranyak and the National Institute of Administrative Research (NIAR), the workshop aims to boost engagements in climate change adaptation discourse and policy processes in the Brahmaputra Basin in North East India. The workshop will bring together select experts, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners dealing with climate change policies and livelihoods.

Objectives

Explore ways to institutionalize a platform for sharing knowhow on climate change-related policy, research, and practice in North East India;
Create opportunities for networking and engagement with policymakers to support informed decision making;
Share information and knowledge about climate change adaptation in North East India

Expected Outcomes

The workshop will facilitate interaction and networking among state level policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in order to promote the institutionalization of knowledge sharing on climate change adaptation in North East India. The workshop will lead to a publication of the proceedings covering experiences and lessons learnt on climate change adaptation in North East India, the results of which will further feed into relevant initiatives in regional and global discourses on climate change adaptation.