The Highland Institute today launched a report emphasizing the critical role of Indigenous knowledge in building climate resilience in Eastern Nagaland. Titled Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Climate Resilience in Eastern Nagaland, the report presents findings from the three-year Earthkeepers Project, which worked with Indigenous communities along the Indo-Myanmar border.
Supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, the project documented how communities in the Noklak and Meluri districts understand and respond to climate change. The report highlights that climate change is experienced locally through variations in crop yields, delayed monsoons, unpredictable rainfall, and water scarcity, rather than as an abstract global phenomenon.
A key finding of the report is the impact of border politics on climate vulnerability. Restrictions on movement and access to ancestral lands have intensified challenges in a region where livelihoods depend on mobility and shared ecological systems. Despite these challenges, Indigenous institutions—such as collective farming practices, hunting regulations, and ritual life—continue to support environmental stewardship and adaptation.
Edgard Rodriguez of IDRC, Canada, said the project aimed to engage the Indo-Myanmar border region during a critical moment of change, combining research with capacity-building for young Indo-Myanmar scholars. “The project nurtured a new generation of researchers and change-makers committed to collaboration for a more resilient and hopeful future,” Rodriguez added.
“The Earthkeepers Project has demonstrated that Indigenous knowledge is not a marginal resource, but a foundation for climate resilience, cultural continuity, and socially grounded responses to environmental change in Eastern Nagaland and beyond,” said Dr Viketoulie Pienyu, board member of The Highland Institute.
Team member Tümüzo Katiry shared, “Through the Earthkeepers Project, I learned directly from elders whose knowledge has too often been pushed aside. Hearing their stories has strengthened my sense of responsibility to carry these voices forward and ensure they are not lost.”
The report calls on policymakers to recognize Indigenous knowledge systems, consider borderland realities, and support community-led approaches to conservation and climate adaptation in Eastern Nagaland.
The Highland Institute, established in 2013, is an independent research center focused on socio-political, cultural, historical, environmental, and developmental issues in Highland Asia. The Earthkeepers Project was implemented in collaboration with IDRC and the Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar (K4DM) Initiative, which works to strengthen public policy research capacity in Myanmar.
The report, authored by Kevide Lcho, Saktum Wonti, and Tümüzo Katiry, is available in PDF format from The Highland Institute. For access, contact Lanu Aier at lanu@ highlandinstitute.org
For further information, the media can contact Catriona Child, Earthkeepers Project Coordinator, at +91 98717 90647 (WhatsApp) or catriona@ highlandinstitute.org