Correspondent
KOHIMA, SEPTEMBER 24
KOHIMA is all set to host the third edition of Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS-III). The three-day summit, organized by the Sustainable Development Forum Nagaland (SDFN), will begin Wednesday evening at NBCC Convention Centre, Kohima. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio will grace the inaugural programme as the chief guest while Lok Sabha MP from Sikkim & convenor of Indian Mountain Initiative (IMI) PD Rai will be delivering the opening address of the summit. A host of dignitaries from diverse places and backgrounds will also be speaking on Day-I of the Kohima Summit. They include the Resident Coordinator-United Nations (New Delhi), Lise Grande; Joint Secretary to the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India, BMS Rathore; Councillor and Director of Cooperation-Embassy of Switzerland, New Delhi, Janine Kuriger; Director General-International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Dr David Molden; Programme Manager- CCA-NER, GIZ Shillong, Helga Fink; and Chief Secretary Nagaland & Convenor SMDS-III, Alemtemshi Jamir.
The SMDS, which began in 2011 at Nainital (Uttarakhand), is a platform and an annual key activity of the IMI involving the Indian Himalayan states of Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and the hill districts of Assam, Tripura and West Bengal to collectively share experiences, discuss issues of development and find ways that influence national and state public policies.
The Kohima Summit 2013 will delve into issues relating to three major themes – Water, Forests and Agriculture, on a mountain perspective through sharing and collaboration on research, information and knowledge dissemination.
SMDS-III convenor, Alemtemshi Jamir told media persons earlier this month that the themes of the Kohima Summit are matters of great concern for the region and that many pre-eminent issues related to the themes are going to be addressed during the summit.
Along with the three themes, there will also be an underlined focus on disaster pertaining to the mountain states. Over 20 delegates and 30 legislators from the member states are expected to participate in this mega summit.
Besides the thematic plenary sessions, there will be a varied set of events during the three-day summit, including policy makers’ dialogue, legislators’ meet, State Action Plan for Climate Change (SAPCC) mountain caucus, 3rd Indian Himalayan Photography Competition, Food Fest, exhibitions and demonstrations.
Programme schedule on Page 2
