Traditional Landforms and Land Use Changes in North Eastern India
By G. Srinivasan
Summary
The North-Eastern states of India, recognized for their rich biodiversity, forest cover, and unique geographical features, face significant challenges due to shifting land use patterns and agricultural practices. Traditional shifting cultivation (Jhum) dominates, accounting for 80–90% of cultivated areas, but it leads to soil degradation, erosion, and nutrient loss. This has prompted a shift toward fallow lands and cash crops like tea and rubber, further altering land use. The region’s terrain, marked by hills, plateaus, and rivers, supports diverse ecosystems, including UNESCO World Heritage sites like Kaziranga National Park and Majuli. However, pressures from urbanization, population growth, climate change, and infrastructure development threaten these ecosystems, exacerbating human-wildlife conflicts as wildlife migrates due to habitat loss.
Conclusion
The shift from traditional shifting cultivation to cash crops and non-agricultural land uses in Northeast India has significant implications for soil health, biodiversity, and livelihoods. The decline of Jhum cultivation, driven by soil degradation and socio-economic pressures, has led to increased land conversion for plantations and urbanization, threatening forest cover and wildlife habitats. This transformation exacerbates human-wildlife conflicts, disrupts water resources, and risks long-term agricultural productivity. Sustainable land management, afforestation, and strict regulation of land-use changes are critical to preserving the region's ecological integrity and supporting its agriculture-dependent communities. Balancing development with conservation is essential to safeguarding Northeast India's unique biodiversity and ensuring the resilience of its fragile ecosystems.