Youth Leaders Gather In Silchar For River Governance Workshop, Focus On Climate And Community Action

A three-day workshop on river governance and youth leadership was held in Silchar to train and connect young people working on water and environmental issues. The programme aimed to help youth understand river-related challenges and work with communities to protect rivers and livelihoods.

The ‘Youth Leaders for Rivers: Learning Workshop’ took place from March 24 to 26 at the Cachar Club Conference Hall. It was organised by the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS) with support from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The event brought together young participants from different parts of the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna Basin under the Youth Basin Ambassadors (YBA) initiative.

Participants included youth representatives from across the region, along with NEADS team members, civil society groups, local partners and resource persons from academic institutions and river organisations. The workshop focused on key issues such as water rights, climate change, and the role of communities in managing rivers.

Sessions covered legal rights of river-dependent communities, indigenous perspectives on river governance, civic engagement, participatory research tools and media narratives related to rivers. Through group activities, debates and project design sessions, participants worked on ideas to address local water challenges and strengthen basin-level collaboration.

A field visit to Rupaibali Oxbow gave participants a closer look at real-life challenges. They interacted with local communities and observed how people respond to changing river conditions and environmental stress.

Speaking at the event, NEADS Director Tirtha Prasad Saikia said that young people have an important role in shaping the future of rivers. He stressed the need for informed and active youth who can work with communities for sustainable and climate-resilient solutions and help build a strong network across regions.

The workshop ended with a session where participants reflected on their learnings and discussed ways to continue working together. Professor Parthankar Choudhury of Assam University, in his concluding remarks, highlighted the importance of developing youth leadership for environmental conservation in present times.

Organisers said such workshops are important to build awareness, promote knowledge sharing and encourage long-term youth engagement in protecting rivers and wetlands.