A recent research study by the Meghalaya Climate Change Centre (MCCC) has revealed detailed block-level climate vulnerabilities across the state, identifying 25 out of 39 Community and Rural Development (C&RD) Blocks as falling under “very high” or “high” vulnerability categories.
The study, titled Integrated climate vulnerability assessment of Meghalaya at block level, has been published in Discover Sustainability, a peer-reviewed journal from the Europe-based Springer Nature Group. It provides critical insights into how climate change disproportionately affects different parts of the state, offering granular data that district-level assessments often overlook.
According to the findings, several factors contribute to climate vulnerability in Meghalaya’s blocks. These include limited access to credit, low household incomes, inadequate public health infrastructure—such as shortages of Anganwadi centres—and reduced availability of forest resources.
The study is being seen as a useful tool for policymakers and planners in the state. By highlighting the uneven distribution of vulnerability, the research enables more targeted interventions, helping inform strategies for climate adaptation, sustainable rural development, and socio-economic planning.
The MCCC functions under the Planning, Investment Promotion & Sustainable Development (IP&SD) Department, Government of Meghalaya, and is a technical unit of the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA). It was established under the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE), a programme of the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India.
Dr Joram Beda, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary (Planning, IP&SD Department), currently serves as Director General of MBDA, which also acts as the Secretariat to the Meghalaya State Council on Climate Change & Sustainable Development.
The full study is available online. Interested readers can access the PDF version via this link or read the article directly on the Springer website.
For further information, the MCCC has requested that inquiries be directed to Mr Vivek Lyngdoh, Principal Project Associate, who can be contacted at +91 97744 98164 or via email at cccmegh@gmail.com.
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