4
N. Roy et al.
India ranks 10 among the countries with the largest forest cover (FAO 2010), forest distribution remains highly variable, with most located in the central and north
eastern states (FSI 2011). Of the 34 globally identified biodiversity hotspots, India
harbours four hotspots—Himalayas (entire Indian Himalayan region and that falling
in Pakistan, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar), Indo-Burma (entire north
east India except Assam, and that of Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia
and southern China), Western Ghats and Sri Lanka (entire Western Ghats of India
and Sri Lanka), and Sundaland (Nicobar group of islands plus Indonesia, Malaysia,
Singapore, Brunei and Philippines) (BSI 2016). Over 130,000 species of plants and
animals have already been documented from India. The richness of the biodiversity
is largely due to the occurrence of species, genetic and ecological variabilities in
different bio-geographically and bio-climatically defined zones formed by a wide
range of ecosystems and habitats such as forests, grasslands, wetlands, coastal and
marine ecosystems, and deserts owing to the varied edaphic, climatic and topographic
conditions (Khandekar and Srivastava 2014).
Owing to the location in the eastern Himalayan periphery, India’s north east,
endowed with rich natural resources has been identified as sensitive to water-induced
disasters, fragile geo-environmental settings and underdevelopment in terms of economy. The region’s powerful hydrological and monsoon regime, particularly the
Brahmaputra and the Barak river systems serve as a resource as well as a source
of vulnerability. In comparison to other Indian states with similarity in terms of average per-capita income, India’s north east has registered higher incidence of poverty.
Environmental sustainability of this region is also affected by growing population
and declining productivity of land coupled with comparatively greater dependence
on forests and other natural resources (Das 2009; INCCA 2010). Land use change is
also considered as an important driver of change in tropical regions either singly or in
combination with others (McNeely et al. 1990). About 51.09% of India’s land are cultivated, 21.81% forested and 3.92% under pasture, where as 12.34% is occupied by
built up areas and uncultivated land, and 5.17% is uncultivated waste. The rest comprises of other types of land (IWP 2009). Large-scale alteration of the landscapes
for economical, industrial and infrastructure development and consequent habitat
degradation, fragmentation and depletion are considered to be the prime causes of
biodiversity loss in tropics. In India’s north east, clearance of forests for cultivation including agriculture, tea, coffee, rubber as well as the slash and burn mode of
‘jhum’ cultivation wherein the cycle is ever reducing, modification of main natural
habitat for industrial and developmental activities (oil and natural gas, coal mining, construction of roads etc.), forest fire and other anthropogenic activities have
been significant drivers of change. In the absence of effective land use policy, as
large as 2 million hectares of land in India’s north east has been affected by ‘jhum’
cultivation (Tripathi et al. 2016). Hence, vulnerability of fragile forest ecosystems
of north eastern India is perceived to pose a variety of stress on sustainability of
livelihood system of the poor inhabitants through stresses on ecosystem function
(Bujarbarua and Baruah 2009). The eastern Himalayas is also likely to expect major
transformations in biodiversity across all systems (terrestrial, freshwater) and all
levels (genetic, species, ecosystem), which is triggered by the speedy erosion of the
N. Roy et al.
India ranks 10 among the countries with the largest forest cover (FAO 2010), forest distribution remains highly variable, with most located in the central and north
eastern states (FSI 2011). Of the 34 globally identified biodiversity hotspots, India
harbours four hotspots—Himalayas (entire Indian Himalayan region and that falling
in Pakistan, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar), Indo-Burma (entire north
east India except Assam, and that of Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia
and southern China), Western Ghats and Sri Lanka (entire Western Ghats of India
and Sri Lanka), and Sundaland (Nicobar group of islands plus Indonesia, Malaysia,
Singapore, Brunei and Philippines) (BSI 2016). Over 130,000 species of plants and
animals have already been documented from India. The richness of the biodiversity
is largely due to the occurrence of species, genetic and ecological variabilities in
different bio-geographically and bio-climatically defined zones formed by a wide
range of ecosystems and habitats such as forests, grasslands, wetlands, coastal and
marine ecosystems, and deserts owing to the varied edaphic, climatic and topographic
conditions (Khandekar and Srivastava 2014).
Owing to the location in the eastern Himalayan periphery, India’s north east,
endowed with rich natural resources has been identified as sensitive to water-induced
disasters, fragile geo-environmental settings and underdevelopment in terms of economy. The region’s powerful hydrological and monsoon regime, particularly the
Brahmaputra and the Barak river systems serve as a resource as well as a source
of vulnerability. In comparison to other Indian states with similarity in terms of average per-capita income, India’s north east has registered higher incidence of poverty.
Environmental sustainability of this region is also affected by growing population
and declining productivity of land coupled with comparatively greater dependence
on forests and other natural resources (Das 2009; INCCA 2010). Land use change is
also considered as an important driver of change in tropical regions either singly or in
combination with others (McNeely et al. 1990). About 51.09% of India’s land are cultivated, 21.81% forested and 3.92% under pasture, where as 12.34% is occupied by
built up areas and uncultivated land, and 5.17% is uncultivated waste. The rest comprises of other types of land (IWP 2009). Large-scale alteration of the landscapes
for economical, industrial and infrastructure development and consequent habitat
degradation, fragmentation and depletion are considered to be the prime causes of
biodiversity loss in tropics. In India’s north east, clearance of forests for cultivation including agriculture, tea, coffee, rubber as well as the slash and burn mode of
‘jhum’ cultivation wherein the cycle is ever reducing, modification of main natural
habitat for industrial and developmental activities (oil and natural gas, coal mining, construction of roads etc.), forest fire and other anthropogenic activities have
been significant drivers of change. In the absence of effective land use policy, as
large as 2 million hectares of land in India’s north east has been affected by ‘jhum’
cultivation (Tripathi et al. 2016). Hence, vulnerability of fragile forest ecosystems
of north eastern India is perceived to pose a variety of stress on sustainability of
livelihood system of the poor inhabitants through stresses on ecosystem function
(Bujarbarua and Baruah 2009). The eastern Himalayas is also likely to expect major
transformations in biodiversity across all systems (terrestrial, freshwater) and all
levels (genetic, species, ecosystem), which is triggered by the speedy erosion of the