13th Sustainable Mountain Development Summit opens in Srinagar today
Nagaland policy analyst Amba Jamir will deliver a lead presentation on mountain development policy at the 13th Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS), which opens at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) Shalimar Campus in Srinagar on October 12.
The three-day summit, being organised by SKUAST-Kashmir and the Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI) alongside the J&K Agriculture Science Congress, will bring together policymakers, researchers, administrators and civil society leaders from across the Indian Himalayan Region to deliberate on climate resilience, ecological governance and mountain livelihoods.
Jamir, a member of the IMI Governing Council, will speak on “The Himalayan Policy Paradox: Missing Mountain Realities” on October 14 during a high-level session on “Science, Governance & Policy for the Mountains”, chaired by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo.
His presentation will examine the gaps between mainstream central planning instruments and the socio-ecological realities of indigenous mountain communities. He will also participate in a panel discussion on the subject.
The session will feature SKUAST-K Vice Chancellor Prof. N. A. Ganai presenting the draft Jammu and Kashmir Sustainable Mountain Development Policy, while Prof. Javed Ahmad Mir of the Islamic University of Science and Technology and a retired Asian Development Bank official will speak on basin-based development planning. Three national publications on climate resilience and farmer participation in carbon markets will also be unveiled.
The summit, themed “Contouring Sustainable Himalayan Landscapes for Inclusive Viksit Bharat”, will feature the participation of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at the inaugural session on October 12 and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh at a special session on October 13.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will attend the valedictory session on October 14, when the draft Mountain Development Policy is scheduled to be officially released.
Nagaland has a longstanding association with the summit, having hosted the third SMDS in Kohima in 2013. The event was organised by the Sustainable Development Forum Nagaland in collaboration with the State Government. The annual summit has since served as a platform for deliberations on sustainable development across the Himalayan states.
