NEADS Calls for Climate Justice and Community-Led Action Ahead of COP31

GUWAHATI, October 28, 2026 — 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, Türkiye.

Communities across Assam and Northeast India continue to face recurring floods, riverbank erosion, flash floods, landslides, extreme rainfall, drought-like conditions and climate-related livelihood losses. These challenges disrupt agriculture, affect access to essential services and place additional pressure on vulnerable households.

The region encompasses globally significant ecosystems, including parts of the Himalaya and Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspots, as well as extensive river basins, forests and wetlands. These landscapes support rich biodiversity and sustain the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. NEADS emphasises that protecting these ecosystems while strengthening community resilience is essential to addressing climate change.

Drawing on its grassroots policy recommendations, the organisation has highlighted the need for locally led climate adaptation, accessible climate finance, stronger early-warning systems, anticipatory action, disaster risk reduction and appropriate support for communities experiencing climate-related loss and damage.

Tirtha Prasad Saikia, Director of NEADS, said, “We believe that meaningful climate action begins with communities and their experiences. People living on the frontlines of climate change have valuable knowledge and insights that can help shape practical and lasting solutions. As we approach COP31, it is important to strengthen locally led adaptation, improve access to climate finance and recognise Indigenous knowledge so that global climate commitments can bring meaningful benefits to communities and the ecosystems they depend on.”

NEADS has also underscored the importance of Indigenous Peoples’ leadership and traditional knowledge in building climate resilience. Promoting agroecology and Indigenous food systems, restoring wetlands and floodplains, and strengthening resilience across river basins can help link biodiversity conservation with food security, water access and sustainable livelihoods.

The organisation has called for greater support for grassroots organisations and community institutions working directly with affected populations. It emphasises that transparent decision-making, meaningful community participation and inclusive approaches involving women, young people, persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups are essential to ensuring that climate initiatives address local needs.

NEADS has further stressed the importance of dignified, rights-based approaches to climate-related displacement and recovery, particularly for communities facing repeated disasters and the loss of homes, land and livelihoods.

Ahead of COP31, the organisation has urged governments, international institutions and climate-finance providers to translate global climate commitments into practical action. Such efforts, it said, should help communities restore livelihoods, protect natural environments and strengthen resilience to future climate risks.

NEADS maintains that listening to communities is a crucial first step towards meaningful climate action. Recognising their experiences, knowledge and leadership can help make climate policies more inclusive, improve access to climate finance and strengthen resilience for both people and ecosystems.