Mahabahu and HCI in Shillong: NEHU Geography Students Rise to the Challenge of Climate Action

Mahabahu and HCI in Shillong: NEHU Geography Students Rise to the Challenge of Climate Action

MOHAN KHOUND

Shillong, March 2, 2026 – In the mist-covered hills of Meghalaya, a powerful climate conversation unfolded inside the Department of Geography at North-Eastern Hill University. What took place was not just a workshop. It was the nurturing of a new generation of climate defenders.

Organised by the Geography Department in collaboration with the Healthy Climate Initiative, the workshop on “Action & Innovation” brought together science, activism, policy understanding, and youth energy under one roof in association with Mahabahu Climate Forum.

The Department of Geography, under School of Human and Environmental Sciences started in June 1976 by Prof. R. C. Sharma who was appointed as the Head of the Department and the Dean of the School. Under his able leadership, the department offered M.A./M.Sc. and M.Phil./Ph.D. Programmes with just two lecturers. Subsequently, to overcome the difficulties of space and equipment, the newly established department was housed in Mayurbhanj Complex in August 1977. In the year 1979, within a short span of two years, the composition of the department had changed considerably to include seven faculty members (one Professor, two Readers and four Lecturers) and eight non-teaching staffs (both technical and secretarial).

The present composition of the faculty members includes five Professors, two Associate Professors and two Assistant Professors. In light of the great diversity of specialisation that Geography has branched into many fields and sub-fields lately the faculty strength remains inadequate and proves to be a major constraint in teaching and research activities. Current approved strength is 13 positions, nine filled-up, and four vacant.

Thrust area of research in the Department : 

1. Geomorphology with focus on Regional and Applied geomorphology.
2. Environmental studies with focus on Climatology and Climate change, Water Resources and Hydrology, Biogeography and Biodiversity and Watershed Management Studies.
3. Regional Development and Regional planning.
4. Researches on Social and Cultural Diversity of the North-Eastern Region with a special focus on Tribal Development.
5. GIS and Remote Sensing applications in Environment and Land Use Planning.
6. Promoting application of GIS and Remote Sensing through offering Diploma/Certificate Courses.

The programme was guided by Dr Soumitra Das, CEO of the Healthy Climate Initiative, whose work continues to bridge research and real-world climate solutions. Dr. Soumitra Das is a visionary leader blending expertise from leadership roles in Fortune 500 companies, the US Government, and global telecommunications standards groups. Trained as a Climate Reality Leader by former US Vice President Al Gore, he spearheads impactful initiatives like glacier preservation, large-scale rewilding, and the Climate Awareness for National Cooling Strategy. Dr. Das drives bold, innovative solutions to mitigate climate impacts and secure a sustainable future. He holds degrees from George Mason University and The Wharton School.

He was joined by Rituraj Phukan. He is the founder, Indigenous People’s Climate Justice Forum; Co-Founder, Smily Academy ;National Coordinator for Biodiversity, The Climate Reality Project India; Member, IUCN Wilderness Specialist Group; Commission Member – IUCN WCPA Climate Change, IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation, IUCN WCPA Indigenous People and Protected Areas Specialist Groups, IUCN WCPA South Asia Region and IUCN WCPA-SSC Invasive Alien Species Task Force; Member, International Antarctic Expedition 2013; Climate Force Arctic 2019 ; Ambassador, Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary. Rituraj Phukan is the Climate Editor, Mahabahu and the  Convenor, Mahabahu Climate Forum.

The other person from Mahabahu present was the Anjan Sarma, editor of Mahabahu and founder of the Mahabahu Climate Forum, a writer, translator, and climate activist who initiated a few programme with Rituraj Phukan and other team members.

Prof P.K. Ryngnga

Leadership of the Geography Department

The workshop reflected the academic strength and visionary leadership of the department under Prof P.K. Ryngnga, Head of the Department of Geography. Alongside him, Prof Jiamnok Syiemlieh, Dr V. Saravanabavan, Dr S. Purkayastha, Dr Laitpharlang Cajee, and Dr Chandrakanta, Assistant Professor, demonstrated what committed educators can achieve when they empower students to think critically about the planet’s future. Their encouragement created an environment where students did not merely listen – they questioned, analysed, and proposed solutions. The workshop was fluently anchored by Jason Jyrma.

Climate Change: Science and Survival

The workshop began by examining the science of Earth’s energy imbalance. For thousands of years, the planet’s temperature remained stable. Today, excessive greenhouse gas emissions have disrupted that balance. Carbon dioxide, once emitted, remains in the atmosphere for centuries, trapping heat and thickening the Earth’s atmospheric blanket.

Participants discussed how even a small energy imbalance – measured globally in watts per square metre – translates into massive heat accumulation. Oceans absorb much of it. Glaciers retreat. Weather systems intensify. The Himalayas melt. The Brahmaputra swells and erodes. Wetlands shrink. Heatwaves become deadlier.

India stands among the most climate-vulnerable nations. Rising sea levels threaten coastal populations. Heat and humidity are approaching dangerous wet-bulb temperature thresholds. Those without air conditioning, without insulated homes, without economic safety nets suffer first and worst.

Climate change, therefore, is not merely an environmental issue. It is a humanitarian crisis. It is a justice issue.

Climate Justice: The Moral Compass

A powerful theme that emerged was climate justice. Communities that contributed the least to global emissions are bearing the greatest impacts. Small farmers, indigenous communities, river island dwellers, and urban poor populations are on the frontlines.

The filling up of wetlands in Assam, the loss of floodplains, deforestation, and unplanned urbanisation amplify climate disasters. These are not abstract policy concerns – they are lived realities.

Climate justice demands fairness in adaptation funding, equitable policy frameworks, and a shift in development models. It demands that youth raise their voices.

From Awareness to Action

The workshop explored three major pathways forward:

1. Rapid reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through renewable energy transition.
2. Large-scale ecosystem restoration and afforestation to remove atmospheric carbon.
3. Scientific exploration of climate intervention methods such as albedo enhancement – approached with caution and strong ethical governance.

But the most important message was this: solutions cannot wait for 2050 or 2070 net-zero deadlines. Action must begin now – in cities, in villages, in homes, and in classrooms.

Simple interventions such as reflective roofing, tree planting, urban greening, wetland restoration, sustainable transport, and conscious consumption were discussed as immediate steps. Students were encouraged to view research, policy engagement, communication, and activism as complementary tools in the climate movement.

68 Bright Minds, One Shared Responsibility

The workshop witnessed the participation of 68 bright students from the Department of Geography, whose enthusiasm and thoughtful group discussions were deeply inspiring. They contextualised global science within Northeast India’s realities – from shifting rainfall patterns in Meghalaya to erosion in Assam and biodiversity challenges in the region.

What stood out most was their sense of ownership. They were not passive listeners. They were emerging climate advocates.

The spontaneous formation of the student initiative “MAHABAHU NEHU” signaled a transition from discussion to determination. It demonstrated that climate awareness at NEHU is evolving into climate action.

A Call to the Youth

The battle against climate change is not fought only in international summits. It is fought in universities. It is fought in research papers. It is fought in community meetings. It is fought in policy advocacy. It is fought in everyday choices. The Geography Department of North-Eastern Hill University has planted a seed – a seed of responsibility, courage, and activism.

Rituraj Phukan’s a few words to the students of NEHU:
You are inheriting a warming world. But you are also inheriting the power to change its trajectory. Become researchers who question systems. Become policymakers who prioritise justice. Become communicators who spread awareness. Become activists who refuse to remain silent. The fight against climate change is the defining struggle of our generation. And in Shillong, on this significant day, 68 young minds stepped forward to join that fight – not out of fear, but out of hope.

Because climate action is not optional.
Climate justice is not negotiable.
And saving humanity begins with informed, determined youth.

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