Climate Change
Climate Vulnerability & Mitigation
Vulnerability & Impact
- The North Eastern region is expected to be highly prone to the consequences of climate change due to its geo-ecological fragility.
- Evidences suggest the beginning of the climate change process reflected in erratic weather, abrupt rising temperatures, deficiency in rainfall, humidity variation, and increased unpredictability.
- The number of hot days and hot nights show an increasing trend, while cold days and cold nights show a declining trend in Meghalaya.
- In a state where agriculture is predominantly rain-fed, weather unpredictability leads to farmer insecurity. It also holds widespread implications for water resources, forests, biodiversity, and human and animal health.
State Action & Coordination
- The Meghalaya State Council on Climate Change & Sustainable Deployment, alongside a Steering Committee, has been constituted to coordinate the State Action Plan for the assessment, adaptation, and mitigation of Climate Change.
- The State Action Plan on Climate Change has been officially approved by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF & CC).
Forest Department Interventions
- Forests act as the ultimate sink for carbon dioxide and play an imperative role in mitigating global warming.
- One of the primary goals of the Forest Department is to mitigate the impact of global warming and ensure the stability of the fragile ecosystem by strictly protecting and maintaining forest and tree cover in the State.
- The State has progressed towards securing and protecting community forests and sacred groves by notifying them as Community Reserves under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- People and local traditional institutions are increasingly involved in the protection and management of their forests through the progressive mechanism of Joint Forest Management.