GUWAHATI, March 22 – “The trend of environment degradation is getting worse with every passing day and it would have tremendous implications on our lives in the days to come. Far more disturbing is the fact that the micro level changes in our environment would bring about major alterations at the macro level.”
PP Srivastava, Member Secretary, North Eastern Council, opined this while speaking at the two-day international conference on ‘Global warming and climate change’ organised from today by the ERD Foundation.
Addressing the inaugural session of the seminar, he called upon the scientists, academicians, intellectuals and spiritually enlightened people to take initiative to create awareness on global warming and depleting natural resources, among the masses. “The political leaders are more concerned about the elections, vote bank and short term measures for political gains. It is now on the think-tanks of the society to take the lead in this direction,” he mentioned.
The brain-storming sessions of the seminar also provided a platform to discuss about the potentials and challenges of Northeastern States in regard to climate change and sustainable management of natural resources.
Delivering the key-note address, Professor PK Jha from Nepal Academy of Science, Kathmandu highlighted the impact of climatic change on the sub-Himalayan regions and also the potential threats of global warming on the environment, and lives and economy of people. He also discussed about the dangers of depleting natural resources in the region.
The seminar, organised with the help of the North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST), formerly known as RRL, Jorhat, was held at the Regional Institute of Science and Technology, 9th Mile.
Senior journalist Wasbir Hussain, while speaking on the occasion, discussed about the impact of climate change on security and migration of workforce from one place to another.
“Migration is one of the major concerns in Northeast and Assam in particular. However, the impact of climate change on migration is still to be included in India’s climate change policy,” he mentioned.
In the context of the Northeast, stress was also laid on environmental degradation, habitat destruction, pollution, water scarcity, biodiversity loss, depleting forest cover, dam construction and its social implications among others.
M Hoque, chairman of the ERD Foundation, while welcoming the guests hoped that the seminar would help in pointing out the roles and responsibilities of different organisation towards reducing the impact of global warming.
Dr PG Rao, director NEIST and Dr JS Pandey, Science Secretary of NEERI, Nagpur also spoke on the occasion.
