Study confirms forest shrinkage in state amid climate stress
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 05 2025: Manipur's forests, long regarded as one of Northeast India's ecological treasures, are vanishing at a rapid pace, with a new satellite-based study by Suhora Technologies revealing critical insights into the causes and potential remedies for deforestation in the state.

The report, released on World Environment Day this year, painted a stark picture of forest loss, highlighting a complex web of environmental degradation driven by shifting cultivation, illegal poppy farming, and climate-related stress.

Suhora Technologies, a leading Earth observation and analytics company based in India, conducted a comprehensive assessment of forest dynamics in Manipur between 2021 and 2025.Using high-resolution satellite imagery and advanced geospatial intelligence, the study found that the state lost approximately 21,100 hectares of forest cover in just four years.

The report came alongside data from Global Forest Watch, which estimated Manipur lost about 17,800 hectares of natural forest in 2024 alone, releasing an estimated 9.11 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Suhora's findings do not merely quantify the extent of deforestation but also identify the layered factors responsible for this trend.

The study identified the increasing strain on traditional land-use practices as one of the key factors of the situation.

Shifting cultivation, or jhum, which was historically sustainable, has turned destructive due to shortened fallow cycles that no longer allow the land to regenerate.

This transformation, the study noted, is one of several interlinked drivers of forest degradation.

The report further identified illegal logging and unsustainable fuel-wood extraction as significant contributors to forest loss, while also pointing out the proliferation of illegal poppy cultivation in remote hill areas as another key factor of large-scale deforestation.

Forests are cleared extensively to make way for poppy fields, a phenomenon deeply entangled with the region's socio-political and economic realities.

Manipur's geographical proximity to Myanmar, coupled with its porous borders and hilly terrain, has facilitated the expansion of poppy cultivation, particularly in interior forests.

Multiple investigative reports and government statements corroborate Suhora's findings.

Former chief minister N Biren often linked deforestation and the drug trade to illegal immigration from Myanmar directly.

He blamed immigrants for clearing forest lands and engaging in narcotics cultivation, thereby exacerbating ecological damage and fuelling demographic concerns.

The magnitude of the problem is underscored by official data, which revealed that over 15,400 acres were under poppy cultivation between 2017 and 2023.During this period, more than 2,500 individuals from different communities, including Meeteis, Muslims, Kuki-Chin groups, and others, were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Several media reports noted how methods used to prepare poppy fields, such as applying fertilisers and salt to eradicate weeds, have further accelerated soil degradation and stripped mountain ranges of vegetation.

Environmental consequences are mounting.

Villages situated near poppy cultivation sites report drying streams, polluted rivers, and an increase in water-borne diseases.

In one instance, a village chief told EPW in 2019 that his community suffered both health and livelihood impacts due to the nearby expansion of poppy fields.

These ground-level testimonies matched Suhora's observation that deforestation is not only affecting biodiversity but also destabilising water systems and making the region more vulnerable to landslides and wildfires.

Infrastructure development has added to the pressure.

Road and railway construction, while essential for connectivity, have directly led to forest loss and indirectly increased environmental risk in the state's already fragile hill ecosystems..

This development-induced deforestation, Suhora noted, often goes unchecked due to weak regulatory enforcement.

Compounding these human-driven factors is the growing threat of climate change.

Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and a growing incidence of wildfires and pest outbreaks have left Manipur's forest ecosystems increasingly vulnerable.

Suhora's analysis warned that unless immediate interventions are made, these compounding pressures could irreversibly damage the region's ecological fabric.

However, amid these alarming trends, the study also found a glimmer of hope.

Suhora reported that about 13 hectares of land had shown signs of vegetation regrowth, suggesting that targeted restoration strategies could enable partial recovery.

The company calls this an encouraging sign that forest conservation efforts, if data-driven and locally implemented, can yield results.

The report underscored the urgency of promoting sustainable land-use practices, enhancing community-based forest management, and launching targeted reforestation initiatives.

It pointed out that effective policy-making must rely on robust space-based monitoring and incorporate the participation of indigenous communities, who are both guardians of forested land and among those most affected by its loss.

The broader regional context adds a layer of complexity to the issue.

The intersection of illegal migration, environmental degradation, and ethnic conflict has fuelled tensions between communities.

An India Today report linked the spread of poppy farms to demographic shifts and the emergence of new villages in protected forest areas, aggravating ethnic polarisation.

NDTV report "The Role Of A Plant In Manipur Ethnic Violence" highlighted how deforestation due to poppy farming has affected hills considered sacred by indigenous groups, adding to communal unrest.

Meanwhile, efforts to find sustainable alternatives are underway.

As The Economic Times recently reported, a private tea company has begun converting narcotic plantation areas into tea gardens in a bid 1.0 offer farmers a legal and eco-friendly livelihood option.

Suhora's study serves not only as a scientific record of forest loss but as a call to action.

The company expressed hope that its data will aid stakeholders, from government agencies to grassroots organisations, in designing targeted responses to stop further degradation and begin restoration.

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