Dr. Somya Mishra
&
Madhurjya Saikia
(madhurjyatu15@gmail.com)
Assam, a state long grappling with natural calamities, is now facing
an intensifying climate crisis marked by erratic weather patterns. This alarming shift, primarily driven by global warming and climate change, is manifesting as unpredictable rainfall, prolonged dry spells, and more intense extreme weather events, exacting a heavy toll on human lives, agriculture, and the economy. The reasons behind these changes are multifaceted. Primarily, it’s the anthropogenic increase in greenhouse gas emissions leading to rising global temperatures. Regionally, deforestation in the Himalayan foothills and within Assam, coupled with unsustainable land-use practices, exacerbates the problem by reducing the land’s capacity to absorb water and regulate local climate. Altered monsoon patterns, influenced by global atmospheric changes, also play a significant role. Studies indicate a rising trend in annual average maximum temperatures by 0.049°C and minimum temperatures by 0.013°C annually from 1990 to 2019, while annual rainfall has shown a decreasing trend by approximately 10.77 mm annually in the same period.
The human cost is devastating. The frequency and intensity of floods have surged. The 2022 floods affected over 5.8 million people across 32 districts, claiming hundreds of lives and displacing millions. More recently, heavy rainfall and flooding in June 2024 severely impacted the state, causing 109 deaths and inundating at least 1,325 villages in 19 districts, triggering 2.5 million internal displacements. This leads to increased waterborne diseases, food insecurity, and severe psychological distress among the populace.
Agriculture, the state’s economic backbone, is severely hit. Unpredictable monsoons disrupt traditional cropping cycles, leading to widespread crop failures. The 2022 floods alone damaged crops across 1.12 lakh hectares. This current year (2025) presents a stark contrast, with a significant 30% less rainfall compared to last year’s average, leading to a severe drought-like situation across 25 districts. As of late July, 15 districts are reporting over a 50% deficit, sparking concerns over a sharp decline in Sali paddy production, the principal Kharif crop. Research indicates that for every 1°C increase in temperature, rice yields decline by approximately 0.112 tonnes/ha. Tea gardens, a vital industry, also face reduced yields and quality due to altered rainfall and temperature regimes, impacting thousands of livelihoods. Economically, the losses are immense. Farmers and daily wage earners face destroyed livelihoods. Crucial infrastructure like roads, bridges, and embankments are repeatedly damaged, incurring massive reconstruction costs and hindering long-term development. The Economic Survey 2024-25 identified Assam as one of the states that is most vulnerable to climate change, highlighting its limited irrigation coverage that heightens susceptibility to climatic fluctuations. Livestock also suffers, with thousands of animals perishing in floods or succumbing to waterborne diseases and fodder scarcity.
The iconic Majuli Island, the world’s largest riverine island, exemplifies the crisis. Its landmass has shrunk dramatically from 1,250 sq km in the early 20th century to 483 sq km by 2014, primarily due to relentless erosion exacerbated by climate change. A 2020 study found an ‘alarming’ rise in the annual erosion rate, reaching 6.7 sq km per year between 2005 and 2017. This erosion, coupled with changing rainfall patterns, replaces fertile soil with sand, rendering land infertile and threatening traditional livelihoods like boat-making and pottery, forcing widespread displacement.
The Northeast Indian region, particularly Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, is facing severe environmental challenges due to large-scale hydropower projects, climate change, deforestation, and unregulated urbanization. Over 168 dams, including more than 100 in Arunachal, threaten to distort the fragile hilly landscape and increase the risk of flash floods, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), and landslide dam outburst floods (LDOFs). Assam, already flood-prone due to monsoons and deforestation, is witnessing worsening flood damage and ecological disruption. Agricultural productivity is declining due to erratic weather patterns, frequent floods, and warming winters, exacerbated by the fact that agriculture remains mostly rain-fed. Biofuel crops like Jatropha curcas and Nahar offer alternatives to fossil fuels but remain underutilised. Environmental degradation from coal mining, forest fires, air pollution, and water pollution from industrial waste is compounding problems. Assam’s rich biodiversity, including endemic species and critical forest ecosystems, is at risk from deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and climate variability. Wildlife sanctuaries and riparian ecosystems like those along the Brahmaputra face threats from altered hydrological regimes. Climate change is also likely to increase malaria transmission, reduce water availability, and escalate infrastructure damage due to frequent floods. Industrial pollution from crude oil and fertilizer units, especially in paddy fields and water-rich areas, has led to contamination of land and water sources. Urbanization and population pressure are stressing limited natural resources. Despite efforts to promote renewable energy and biodiversity conservation, proactive strategies for climate resilience, water conservation, and sustainable development remain inadequate in addressing the region’s mounting environmental crises.
Assam’s environment is facing serious degradation due to human exploitation, deforestation, industrial pollution, and frequent floods. Despite being industrially backward, existing industries and overuse of fossil fuels have harmed ecosystems, threatening valuable assets like Majuli Island and Kaziranga’s one-horned rhinoceros. Climate change is worsening the situation by increasing floods and heat stress in animals and reducing fish productivity through rising water temperatures and wetland siltation. Sustainable alternatives like biofuels and ecosystem conservation are crucial. Protection of forests and wildlife, along with community participation and benefit-sharing, is essential. Ethical and spiritual approaches, such as those from Hinduism, stress harmony between man and nature. Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy reminds us that Earth provides for needs, not greed, emphasizing sustainable, ethical development.