Agartala: Northeastern states can use bamboo extensively as part of an adaptation mechanism to fight the impending threats of climate change besides adopting a carbon-neutral lifestyle and climate-resilient behaviour, opined the experts while addressing the first Northeastern Regional Sustainability dialogue at Tripura University on Saturday.

“Northeastern Region has huge potential to contribute to the sustainable development of our country but is still unexplored. With the support of the Indian Institute of Sustainable Development & Carbon Minus India, we are able to host the first dialogue at Tripura University,” Jayanta Choudhury Choudhury said.

He added that the major points of discussion and highlights would be presented at the Global Sustainability Summit-23, to be held from June 14 to June 17 at New Delhi, where all the policymakers will join.

Vice Chancellor of Tripura University Prof G P Prasain stressed the need for changing habits and lifestyles to fight against climate change and make the development sustainable.

He rued the rampant practice of single-use plastic, including the massive use of disposable items like bottled water at public events despite a blanket ban and suggested reducing the dependency on mechanical lifestyles.

The Northeastern society should be motivated towards a nature-based regime, he suggested

Ethiopia’s Regional Program Manager, International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR) Dr Selim Reza urged to incentivize the use of bamboo for rural housing, urban amenities, household items, and livelihood options to neutralize carbon sequestration, reduce disaster risk and a model of sustainable development for Northeastern states where bamboo is abandoned.

Citing the example of eco-tourism development in Sikkim, Dr Saparshee Mitra contemplated that the natural environment and ecology of Namchi have been disturbed due to facilitating tourists. “Sikkim’s GDP might be climbed up but concerns stepping high gradually over the sustainability,” he opined.

The Global Sustainability Summit aims to propagate the pledge to switch from commuting alone in a car to taking public transport, replace incandescent lightbulbs with LEDs, reduce trash, turn the thermostat down to 2°C in winter and up at 2°C in Summer, install low-flow showerheads and taps, plant trees, line dry loads of laundry instead of using the machine dryer, switch single-use products with reusable ones, and segregating solid waste for recyclables.

(With UNI inputs)