Climate change and its impacts : A brief experience of Tamenglong District
- Part 1 -

G Hiamguanglung *

Buning in Tamenglong District - :: Pix - Gaikhamdim Marangmei

Climate change is not only an issue of international concern but is now a local problem. People in the hills have also observed unexpected changes in their weather, water and environment. Reduced water supply, upward shifting of certain plant species and increased incidence of diseases on crops and livestock are major issues. These perceptions of climate change and associated impacts are in line with the expected ecological impact from a scientific point of view.

Tamenglong District, which is one of the most forest-covered districts in Manipur (about 83 pc of the total areas of the district is covered by forest), is in threat of food, health, and water insecurity due to climate change and insignificant/improper adaptations strategy. Though their livelihoods depend on forest, it become less resilience due to increasing pressure. The consequences of biodiversity loss from climate change are likely to be the worst for the poor and marginalized people who depend almost exclusively on natural resources.

Poverty, poor infrastructure (roads, electricity, water supply, education and health care services, communication, and irrigation), reliance on subsistence farming and forest products for livelihoods, substandard health indicators (high infant mortality rate and low life expectancy), and other indicators of development make the poor more vulnerable to Climate Change as the capacity to adapt is inadequate among the inhabitants.

Economic sectors that largely depend on weather conditions – either directly or indirectly – most notably agriculture are increasingly subject to the impacts of climate change. Moreover, the depletion of natural resources, because of increased environmental and demographic pressures, tends to aggravate the severity of climate change impacts.

Local awareness and perception of climate variability and trends related to climate change and associated impacts on natural resources as observed in Tamenglong District;

– Changes in rainfall seasonality - Erratic rainfall and long dry season, severe storm.

– Observed changes and trends in temperature – Higher in winter and summer; more warm months.

– Water resources – changes in quality, quantity – scarcity of water

– Forest cover – changes in extent, lessen firewood, and timbers supply- barren land in and around the village.

– Reduce of jhum fallow cycle and declining its productivity.

– Soil fertility, extent of erosion, runoff etc.

– Decline of wildlife and others natural products.

Consequences and impacts of climate related changes and trends, with particular attention to livelihoods and socio-economic impacts:

- Impacts on human health, livestocks and Fruits and Non-Fruit Crops:

Occurrence of disease and illness is perceived to have increased. Common ailments include colds, fever, jaundice, typhoid, Malaria, etc. Elders believe that the warmer temperature is conducive to germs. Traditional knowledge of medicinal herbs to treat sickness is fading, and the plants are also being lost as a result of forest degradation and overexploitation. The drying up of springs adds pressure to the remaining springs leading to water pollution, explaining the increase in water-borne diseases.

Death of livestocks such as Pig, cattle, poultry, dog, etc were frequently occurred after the 90s and this led to decreases of livestocks populations. Fruits crops such as Oranges, Tree Beans (Yonchak), Guava etc are continuously died away without regarding its ages due to certain diseases. A plague of insects and rodent causes to damage of cereals, fruits and non-fruits crops.

- Changes in food security;

Climate variability and change affected livelihoods most markedly through impacts on food production. Destruction of forest led to lessen soil fertility and decreased food stock-destruction of crops (increase pest, diseases,); decreased food security.

- Changes in principal sources of income;

Once the communities depend on nearby forests for fuel and fodder, as well as for NTFPs that provide an additional source of income. Due to the uneconomic of jhum, high incidence of pest and diseases in livestocks and fruits and non-fruit crops, many of the households has diversified their occupation. No single activities can sustain their livelihoods. Therefore they relied on multiply occupations to support their livelihood. Livestock and dairy income are affected by the reduction in fodder availability and drinking water for animals.

Some households close to markets sold milk, but claimed that milk production decreased when livestock could not be fed fresh fodder. Poultry is another insurance mechanism, as both eggs and meat can be sold in times of hardship, but with illness plaguing the chickens, even this income was reduced. Adequate grass to feed the animals and manpower is another cause. Most households were unable to sustain themselves for the entire year from their harvests(paddy and others) and supplemented their income with wage labour.

- Changes in crop yields, productivity of rural production systems;

With increase population pressure on land, crop production has been declining due to shortening of jhum cycle that declines the soil fertility. Once jhum cycle were maintain for about 10-15 years but currently is has been decreasing to 3-7 years. Again this was added by an unprecedented increase in crop disease and pests. All this led to reduction of food crops. For instance one tin of paddy sown in jhum produce about 80-100 tins of paddies was now drastically reduce to 45 – 60 tins of paddies.

- Changes in availability of fodder, fuel-wood, non-timber forest product (NTFPs);

Availability of fodder, fuel-wood, non-timber forest product (NTFPs), were once abundantly in the nearby village forest and there was little labour time taken in order to acquired this products. Now forest products were becoming extinct and once have to spend more time and space in order to acquire these products.

To be continued....