GIS Study Warns of Rapid Environmental Degradation in Nagaland's Kohima District

KOHIMA: A new research study using advanced satellite and mapping technology has painted a concerning picture of environmental change in Kohima district over the past two decades — flagging shrinking forest cover, rising temperatures, and persistent seismic risk as compounding threats to the region's ecological stability.

The study was conducted by researchers from Nagaland University and Uttarakhand Open University, co-authored by Dr. Khrieketouno Belho, Prof. M.S. Rawat, and Dr. Pradeep Kumar Rawat. It has been published in a peer-reviewed journal by Springer Nature, with support from Nagaland University's Non-NET Fellowship and the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

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According to Prof. M.S. Rawat, Kohima's hill terrain makes it inherently fragile. The district sits on unstable geology, features steep slopes, and experiences frequent landslides and seismic activity — conditions that leave little margin for error when human pressure on the landscape increases.

"These natural factors, combined with increasing human pressure, have led to alarming levels of land-use degradation," the researchers noted, linking the local changes to broader challenges including climate change.

The team used an integrated Geographic Information System (GIS)-based modelling approach, analysing environmental change through three lenses — Geodiversity Informatics, Land Use Informatics, and Climate Informatics.

This framework allowed the researchers to study interconnected variables including geology, vegetation cover, rainfall patterns, temperature trends, and shifting land-use across the district over time.

The findings reveal a significant transformation of Kohima's natural landscape over the past 20 years.

Natural land cover — including forests and water bodies — declined from 93.93% to 81.86% of the district's area. The space freed up was absorbed by expanding built-up zones, agricultural land, and wasteland, driven by growing human activity.

On climate, the study recorded a steady average temperature increase of approximately 0.13°C per year — a rate that, sustained over decades, adds up to a meaningful shift. Alongside this, the district has seen declining rainfall and fewer rainy days over the study period.

Perhaps the most striking finding concerns seismic activity. Between 1982 and 2022, more than 1,100 earthquakes were recorded in Kohima district — averaging around 27 minor tremors per year.

The researchers attribute this ongoing seismic activity to deep tectonic faults running through the region, which also contribute to land instability and increase the frequency and severity of landslides.

The study's authors are calling for evidence-based planning, sustainable land management practices, and wider adoption of geospatial technologies to monitor and mitigate environmental risks in the region.

They argue the research provides a replicable framework for policymakers working on environmental monitoring, climate resilience, and sustainable development — not just in Nagaland, but across the broader Northeast and Himalayan region.