HUMAN ECOLOGY, LAND USE CHANGE AND DISEASE VULNERABILITY IN THE IMPHAL VALLEY OF NORTHEAST INDIA: JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS AS A SENTINEL CONDITION
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Keywords
Vector-borne diseases; Japanese Encephalitis; Human ecology; Land use change; One Health; Imphal Valley; Disease vulnerability
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases are increasingly recognised as outcomes of complex human and environment interactions, particularly in fragile ecosystems undergoing rapid transformation. Northeast India, a biodiversity hotspot marked by high population growth and shifting land-use patterns, offers critical insights into this nexus. This paper examines the links between human ecology, land use change, and disease vulnerability with a focus on Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in the Imphal districts of Manipur. Drawing upon demographic data, land-use surveys, and secondary health reports, the study situates JE as a sentinel disease whose ecology is shaped by rice-paddy cultivation, pig rearing, wetland modification, and settlement density. Rice fields create aquatic habitats conducive to the breeding of Culex mosquitoes, while pig husbandry amplifies viral transmission to human populations. Urban expansion and the degradation of natural wetlands further exacerbate the risk by altering ecological balances. Using a human ecology framework, the findings highlight that disease vulnerability is not merely a biomedical issue but the outcome of population pressure, resource use, and unsustainable land transformation. While JE forms the focal case, the broader insights extend to other vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria, which similarly thrive under conditions of ecological disruption. The paper argues for integrating One Health approaches and sustainable land management practices into regional planning, emphasising that environmental resilience is fundamental to public health security. In doing so, it contributes to interdisciplinary scholarship on environment–health linkages and offers a timeless framework for understanding how ecological change drives disease vulnerability in fragile landscapes.
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Th. Manimala Devi
Deptt of Environmental Science, South East Manipur College, Komlathabi, Chandel District – 795135, Manipur, India.