Webinar on ecosystem restoration held
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 05 2021: In connection with the observance of World Environment Day, a webinar for state level media fellow recipients of Climate Change Reporting Phase II, 2021-22 was organised by Media Resource Centre, directorate of environment and climate change on Saturday.

Delivering the keynote address of the webinar held on the theme 'Ecosystem Restoration: Linking to the Water Resources in Manipur', directorate of environment and climate change joint director T Brajakumar said the United Nations has been observing World Environment Day every year since 1974 under different themes and this year's theme 'Ecosystem Restoration' is more important than themes of the past.

This year's theme not only reminds roles and responsibilities of human beings in restoration of natural environment but also stresses on the need for human beings to understand the sin committed to nature and accordingly the efforts that should be put in to restore the ecosystem, he observed.

Defining ecosystem in the simplest way, T Brajakumar said the relation between living beings and non-living beings is called ecosystem and living beings could not survive when the service of ecosystem stops or breaks down.

When a river dries up, people do not take it easily and the river dries up due to degradation of natural environment, he said, adding that there should be collective understanding on who degraded the natural environment.

Brajakumar further said that water resource issue is one of the hottest issues the state of Manipur is facing currently.

The state gets good rainfall every year and hence gets water aplenty but people face problem in getting drinking water and water for other purposes.

Destruction in catchment area like excessive felling of trees allows water to flow without any halt and this not created water shortage problem but also aid to occurrence of post flood epidemic, he said and called upon people to put collective effort for restoring the natural environment.

ICCA Consortium honorary member Salam Rajesh, Editors' Guild Manipur president Khogendra Khomdram, FPSJ Review of Arts and Politics editor Pradip Phanjoubam, media advisor to chief minister Irengbam Arun gave their observations on the theme during the webinar.

Media Resource Centre coordinator Sobhapati Samom also highlighted challenges faced by fellow recipients during the webinar.

A two-minute silence was also observed during the webinar to mourn the demise of directorate joint director Th Bhogen and retired director of directorate Homeshwor.

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