Climate Crisis and Conservation: A World Environment Day Message

Today, 5th June 2026, we mark World Environment Day, a day first established by the  United Nations in 1972 and now observed in over 150 countries. This year, we gather  under a powerful new banner:

“Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future.”

This theme reminds us that nature is not merely a backdrop for human activity. It is  the very foundation of our existence. The forests breathe life into our atmosphere. The  wetlands shield us from storms. The fertile soil feeds us. Nature offers the blueprint  for the solutions we so desperately need, if only we have the wisdom to learn from it.

A Sacred Responsibility

For those of us who draw strength from Scripture, our duty is crystal clear. In Genesis  2:15, we read that God placed humanity in the garden “to work it and take care of it.”  This is not a license for exploitation, but a commission for stewardship. As Psalm 24:1  declares, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” We are not owners; we are  tenants. It is our moral duty to manage this gift not for our temporary gain alone, but  for the glory of our Creator and the benefit of our neighbours, including those not yet  born.

The Urgent Reality, 2026 in Flames and Floods

We are at a critical juncture. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has  confirmed that 2024 was the warmest year on record, with global average  temperatures crossing the symbolic 1.5°C threshold. Climate change is no longer a  distant threat, it is here. And the first half of 2026 has already given us a terrifying  preview of what “here” looks like.

Look first to our own beloved Northeast India. In May 2026, catastrophic floods and  landslides swept across Assam, Manipur, and other states. At least 36 of our brothers  and sisters lost their lives. Over five and a half lakh, were driven from their homes,  their livelihoods swallowed by muddy water. The Central Water Commission had  issued alerts for the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers, but the sheer ferocity  overwhelmed every defence. And this was not an isolated event.

From March to May of this year, the summer pre- monsoon has been relentless across  South Asia, claiming over 1, 200 lives across the region. Early pre-monsoon rains  have repeatedly triggered landslides and cut off road connectivity in the hilly states of  Assam, Meghalaya, and Nagaland, places now tragically known for their vulnerability.

Across India, the suffering has been immense. The 2026 pre-monsoon floods have  affected tens of millions, displacing hundreds of thousands. Vast areas of cropland lie  submerged, threatening food security. Roads and bridges are destroyed; entire  communities have been cut off from the world. In the Western Himalayas, a fatal  landslide struck Kishtwar district in Jammu & Kashmir on March 15, killing two and  forcing the evacuation of 238 residents. Another rain-triggered landslide nearby  trapped two workers at a hydro-power project, killing one. Even heavy snowfall has  stranded hundreds of civilians, showing us that climate chaos knows no season. And

the steep slopes of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand remain dangerously  vulnerable, with regular landslides blocking highways and cutting off tourist  destinations like Manali and Darjeeling.

This is not a future prophecy. This is the news of the last 3 months. This is the cost of our inaction.

At the same time, the United Nations Environment Programme warns that plastic  pollution now affects not only ecosystems and wildlife but also human health, as  microplastics enter our food chain.

The Paradox of Artificial Intelligence

Technology offers promise, but it also carries a hidden burden. Artificial Intelligence  can help us predict climate patterns, detect forest fires early, monitor wildlife, improve  energy efficiency, reduce agricultural waste, and support smart transport. AI-driven  tools already help farmers use less water and fertiliser.

However, large AI models and the data centres that power them consume enormous  amounts of electricity, often from fossil fuels, and vast quantities of water for cooling.  In places where there are datacentre over a period of time have become hazardous  for the nearby residents, including shortage of clean drinking water, rise in surrounding  temperature etc.Moreover, the rapid cycle of hardware manufacturing generates  electronic waste (e-waste), much of it containing toxic substances. We must therefore  advocate for “Green AI”, computing that prioritises energy efficiency, water-conscious  cooling, and responsible recycling of hardware.

A Pledge for Our Future

As the #ClimateActionIsPersonal campaign urges us: as individuals, step up. Make  it a personal call to act for the environment, not for others, but for yourself, for your  survival.

1. Striving towards maintaining orderliness of all creation: Our fore-fathers  were lovers of green, for them nature was their church and loving them was  their religion. History records how closely they lived and interacted with nature.  To be a tribal is to have strong foothold in nature which is the source of all life.  Clean and green are the integral part of tribal life for without them there is no  tribal life on the planet earth. For our fore-fathers the un-mindful use of natural  resources, unkempt surrounding and violence cause to environment was  considered below their dignity. So to be a dignified and esteemed tribal is to  love clean and green.
2. Proclaiming ecological concerns through one’s life:  Natural resources are there for us to use and it is a blessing to humanity yet  blessing always comes with a responsibility. But our greed has blinded us and we  just think to take away as much as we can and forget our responsibility and harm  the environment. And the need of the hour is not to become sentimental and  sensationalize the issue but what needed now is determinate heart and persistent  spirit. We are call to be the harbinger of change and hope for better life and Our  mission on this earth should not be Anthropocentric and not Cosmocentric

3. Action plans towards restoring Forest Conservation and Livelihood: “Forest and community are inseperable and the knowledge of conservation is rooted within the local communities.”This is not a new philosophy rather,it reflects a  long standing reality of community across generations.

Across villages sacred groves have survived for generations without formal  enforcement. These are not “protected areas” in the legal sense, yet they function as  some of the most resilient micro-conservation zones in the Northeast biodiversity  hotspot.

Through participatory engagement – walking through the clan forests, water sources,  and culturally significant sites alongside villagers we facilitate a renewed sense of  ownership, stewardship and belongingness towards Conservation efforts

When forests are viewed merely as state assets, conservation becomes enforcement dependent.However when forests are recognised as an integral part of community  identity,Conservation evolves into an intrinsic and self sustaining practise.

Dr Sentitula IFS

Director
(Tourism & Industries)
North East Council Secretariat, Shillong

(The views expressed are those of the writer and not of the newspaper)