ITANAGAR, Feb 17: Arunachal Pradesh lost forest cover due to developmental works in various parts of the state along with natural disasters like landslides and floods, said deputy chief minister Chowna Mein.

Quoting the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, he informed that Arunachal Pradesh has witnessed a loss of 257 sq km of forest cover compared to the 2019 assessment with the total forest coverage of 66,430.67 sq km (79.33% of the total geographical area). 

Addressing a conglomeration of environmental and climate change experts, legislators, govt officers and students in an all important seminar on ‘Climate Change and Sustainable Future – The Arunachal Perspective’ organized by the Golden Jubillee Celebration Committee here today, Mein underscored the urgency in mitigating climate change impacts on our ecosystems and food security. 

Terming Climate change as one of the greatest threats to earth ecosystems and global security, he said it might pose challenge to the State’s rich biological as well as cultural diversity and sustainability.

“Arunachal Pradesh, being an entirely tribal state, forests has been the mainstay for the livelihood of local people dependent on forest resources," he said.

He also said that the impact of climate change is already visible in Arunachal Pradesh, the five rivers of Arunachal Pradesh, i.e., Siang, Lohit, Tirap, Subansiri and Kameng losses its original green emerald colours and has now diminished due to increase in turbidity.

Voicing concern over dumping of plastic waste, indiscriminate fishing by illegal methods, he called for a complete ban on such activity including hunting in the state.

Mein also called upon the experts and the think-tank to come up with proposal of alternate source of livelihood for those living in the vicinity of the wildlife areas and animal corridors.

He also said that the diminishing Apple Orchards at Dirang and Kalaktang area in West Kameng District is also upsetting which is the result of climate change due to global warming.  He further said that there is an institutional gap in the forest conservation system when it comes to addressing the Climate risks on Forest ecosystem and biodiversity conservation arising from the interaction of climate change and social, economic and political factors. He called upon the academician and university/college students to fill up this gap in bringing awareness on forest conservation system.

The DyCM further stated that though Jhum or Shifting cultivation as the tribal way of life, it needs to be substituted with sustainable agriculture and horticulture and said that Govt has taken various measures to improve the farming community and to bring in changes in the farming technique with introduction of farm mechanization, terrace cultivation, etc through credit link schemes.

Earlier, Mein along with Speaker APLA, Pasang D Sona inaugurated a photo exhibition titled, ‘Revisiting our roots through the lens of Verrier Elwin’ as a part of Golden Jubilee Celebration  of Arunachal Pradesh. The photo exhibition was conceptualized by the Deputy Chief Minister. It is an attempt to generate a visual landscape about the Arunachal Tribes (NEFA) in and around the 1950s. The photographs displayed were captured by the renowned tribal philanthropist and the then advisor to the Tribal Affairs of North East, Dr Verrier Elwin. It will be displayed for the public from February 17-19.