Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS-XII) to be held at Doon University

PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun

The fragile Himalayan ecosystem is facing unprecedented challenges due to climate change, water scarcity and the decline of traditional agricultural systems. To address these issues, the Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI) will organise the 12th Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS-XII) at Doon University on September 26 and 27, IMI president Ramesh Negi said while addressing the media on Thursday.

He informed that the event will be inaugurated on September 26 by the Forest minister Subodh Uniyal and will focus specifically on water-related disasters. The valedictory session is scheduled for September 27, which will be attended by Vidhan Sabha speaker Ritu Khanduri along with Haridwar MP and ex-CM Trivendra Singh Rawat, who will be a special guest.

Negi highlighted that in light of recent disasters in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and other Himalayan States, a mountain legislators meet will be convened. This will involve about two dozen legislators from Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Sikkim, who will join senior experts for in-depth discussions aimed at strengthening resilience in the region, he added.

Director of SARG India and a member of IMI, Binita Shah said that the two-day summit is expected to attract over 200 delegates, including scientists, subject experts, policymakers, academics, civil society representatives, farmers and community leaders from various Himalayan states. The event will feature exhibitions and photo galleries showcasing thematic insights in a visually engaging format. The outcomes from various technical sessions will be compiled into recommendations and strategy papers, which will be submitted to the 16th Finance Commission and NITI Aayog to help enhance agricultural and ecological resilience in the Himalayan region.

She said that the major discussion themes during the program will include, strengthening agroecological conservation and resilience, Himalayan biodiversity and agroecology, changing patterns in livelihoods and food and nutrition security, water security and water-related disasters in the Himalayas and climate change adaptation and resilience. She informed that the summit is being organised in collaboration with Doon University, the ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the National Mission for Himalayan Studies, Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology and the State government, among others.

It is important to mention that IMI has been actively working toward sustainable development and ecological conservation in the Himalayan region for several years. This initiative encompasses 11 Himalayan states and two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya.