Manipur hosts third round table on invasive alien species, climate change

Scientists and government officials convened today at the ICAR conference hall for the third round table discussion on invasive alien species and climate change in Manipur.

The event, jointly organised by the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change and ICAR-Manipur, aims to document and assess non-native species potentially threatening local ecosystems amid changing climate conditions.

T Brajakumar Singh, Director of the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, emphasised that the presence of alien species driven by climate change impact and change in land use patterns was evident. He stressed the importance of documenting these species to take up precautionary measures to prevent any unwanted impact on the environment.

During his address, Singh shared findings from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), noting that "IPBES claims that several human activities have brought more than 37,000 alien species into different parts of the world's biomes and regions."

The discussion centred on assessing and documenting alien species in Manipur's changing climate scenario, evaluating invasive characteristics and ecological impacts, and developing appropriate government policies.

This gathering follows the first and second roundtable discussions held on January 20 and May 9 last year. Subject experts, researchers, and academics presented papers on related topics throughout the session.