Anini / New Delhi – Lisha Umpo, a young climate practitioner from the Idu Mishmi community in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley, has emerged as a powerful advocate for indigenous knowledge systems by graduating from the National Youth Climate Consortium (NYCC) Fellowship. As the sole fellow from Arunachal Pradesh in the Climate Change Action category, she represented the state at the NYCC Graduation Reception and Exhibition held on January 23, 2026, at the India International Centre in New Delhi.
The event brought together fellows from 32 States and Union Territories to showcase decentralized, community-driven climate solutions, attended by dignitaries including Arjan de Wagt, Deputy Representative of UNICEF India, along with experts from UNDP, UN Women, the World Bank, CDRI, The Climate Group, and the Embassy of Spain.
Documenting Traditional Healing Wisdom
Lisha’s fellowship project, titled “Documenting Indigenous Medicinal Plants of Dibang Valley”, focused on recording traditional ecological knowledge held by the Idu Mishmi people. She documented over 52 native and indigenous plant species used in local healing practices, emphasizing how forests serve as living systems deeply intertwined with culture, health, and identity.
“Climate solutions already exist within indigenous communities, where forests are protected not just for survival, but as living systems tied to culture, health, and identity,” Lisha shared during her presentation.
Her work produced a documentary film and a detailed project booklet, both of which she presented at the national event. On February 2, 2026, she showcased the same materials during the Central Reh Festival celebrations in Anini, in the presence of local MLA Mopi Mihu.
From Grassroots to National Recognition
Popularly known as “Idu Filmmaker Lisha,” she is recognized as the first woman documentary filmmaker from the Idu Mishmi community. A college dropout, Lisha built her expertise through hands-on grassroots engagement, storytelling, and active participation in traditional weaving—efforts that preserve indigenous livelihoods and cultural identity.
Her project positions Dibang Valley—one of India’s most biodiverse and ecologically sensitive landscapes—as a model for community-led, nature-based climate resilience. It serves as a living archive of traditional healing knowledge while highlighting the vital role of indigenous practices in addressing modern environmental challenges.
Momentum Toward Institutional Support
Lisha plans to establish a Living Interpretation Centre in Dibang Valley, creating a space for intergenerational learning, research, and community engagement focused on medicinal plants, healing traditions, and climate-linked cultural heritage.
The initiative aligns with recent state-level developments: during the Cabinet Aapke Dwar programme in Anini, the Arunachal Pradesh government announced the creation of a High Altitude Medicinal Plant Research Centre in Dibang Valley, with a feasibility study to be completed within three months.
This convergence of youth-led advocacy and institutional recognition underscores the growing value placed on indigenous wisdom in national climate and conservation discourse.
Lisha Umpo’s journey exemplifies how local knowledge holders from remote frontier regions can influence broader conversations on sustainability, proving that impactful climate action often originates from the ground up in communities like the Idu Mishmi.
Relevant Tags
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