The Northeastern region is famous for its tourist attraction and its captivating charm lies in the variety and profusion of its flora and fauna. The region supports roughly 50% of the total flowering plants recorded in India, 51.58% of them endemic. A study made by Assam’s Chief Conservator of Forests, S.P. Singh warns that a number of rare species of flora and fauna in the region are likely to be extinct due to climate change or restricted habitat requirements. These include Pygmy Hog found in grassland eco systems in Manas National Park in Assam and biota restricted to islands or wetland areas. The threat to biodiversity in the Northeast is likely to be most acute because of ecological fragility, economic marginality and the restricted distribution of rich endemic species. The temperature of the Northeast is set to increase by 1.8 to 2.1 degrees during the next two decades. Mean annual rainfall is also expected to increase by 6mm per day.
With the ongoing pattern of climate change, wetlands, grasslands and tropical rain forests are becoming most vulnerable. The riparian forests are particularly so. This is due to over-exploitation caused by the habitation of human population. Changes in stream flow, floods, drought, water temperature and water quality due to climate change will put the fresh water ecosystem under threat because of loss of bio-diversity and ecosystem services. If rapid and irreversible change in bio-diversity in the Northeast is to be prevented, conservation strategies have to focus more on supporting the adaptability of endangered species to the threat apprehended.