A CORRESPONDENT
JORHAT: The North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), a grassroots development organisation based in Jorhat, Assam, has called for greater global cooperation on climate justice, locally led adaptation, and equitable climate finance ahead of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), scheduled for November 2026 in Antalya, Turkey. NEADS stated that communities across Assam and Northeast India continue to experience the impacts of recurrent floods, riverbank erosion, flash floods, landslides, extreme rainfall, drought-like conditions, and climate-related livelihood losses. It further added that the region is home to globally significant ecosystems, including parts of the Himalaya and Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspots, alongside river basins, forests, and wetlands. These natural landscapes support rich biodiversity and sustain the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. NEADS believes that protecting these ecosystems, while strengthening the resilience of local communities, is an important part of addressing climate change.