By APD writer Rishika Chauhan

NEW DELHI, Dec 6-- According to a study presented by Indian scientists at the on-going UN climate conference in Poland, the provinces of Assam and Mizoram in the North–East are the most vulnerable to climate change.

The team consisting of scientists from the Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Institute of Technology in Himachal Pradesh and Guwahati studied 12 western and eastern Himalayan provinces to reach the conclusion.

The parameters under study included irrigated area, forest cover, per capita income and area under crop insurance.

The provinces of Uttarakhand and Sikkim were found to be at lowest risk compared to other hill provinces.

According to a Hindustan Times report, “Assam has higher vulnerability because it has one of the lowest areas under irrigation and lowest forest area per 1,000 rural households among the 12 states.”

“Mizoram is also highly vulnerable because of the same issues but also because at least 30% of the geographical area is under slope. Jammu and Kashmir has the third highest vulnerability ranking,” the report added.

The vulnerability of the province of Sikkim was estimated to be the least as it has the highest per capita income, dense forests and a low population density.

The scientists used government’s census and annual reports to conduct the study and draw the conclusions.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)