Alice Yhoshü
KOHIMA, SEPTEMBER 25
CHIEF Minister Neiphiu Rio declared the much anticipated third edition of Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS-III) open today at NBCC Convention Centre, Kohima with the focus on water, forest and agriculture amid a gathering that included over 300 delegates and dignitaries from 11 Indian mountain states, central government, organizations in India and abroad and from UN agencies. Rio, who graced the inaugural programme of SMDS-III, the Kohima Summit, as chief guest, lauded the Indian Mountain Initiative (IMI) and Sustainable Development Forum of Nagaland (SDFN) for taking the “enormous responsibility” of putting together the three-day event to lead the country in dealing with the vital and pressing issues of mountain development. He asserted that these issues directly impact the life of every citizen of India as well as the world at large.
Lauding IMI’s mission of initiating the recognition of mountain regions as more than just a physical resource and enabling people to realize their potential by integrating knowledge and experiences, the Chief Minister said such initiative requires the support of both governments and communities. He asserted that mountain environments represent major ecosystems which are essential to the survival of the global ecosystem.
While the mountain states of India are industrially underdeveloped with limited opportunities for gainful employment, these regions are treasure troves of biodiversity, minerals and knowledge systems, and serve as the healthy lungs of the nation, Rio observed.
He said the mountain people also aspire for similar developments that they see around them, but they have a responsibility to preserve the delicate ecosystem surrounding them. Maintaining that the Northeast India is one of the 35 biodiversity hotspots of the world, Rio stressed that if the resources of this region need to be exploited then it has to be done in a sustainable manner. He also pointed out that the mountain states of India are yet to benefit from the global carbon markets on the basis of the Kyoto Protocol. However, he said the need for maintaining the ecosystem of the region should not be compromised at any cost, irrespective of whether the people get financial compensation or not.
He opined that development and conservation can be pursued jointly in a sustainable manner that will fairly meet the aspirations of the present as well as secure the need of the future. In this regard, he urged upon the people of the region to find ways of innovating their own models of development rather than looking for precedents from other places.
“Let us remember that the defining word here should always be ‘sustainability’, without which, no development goals should be considered worth pursuing,” he said.
On the emergence of urbanization in the region, Rio asserted that the effects of this trend is disastrous to the mountain ecosystem, citing Kohima, Gangtok, Aizawl, Nainital et al as cities struggling with the weight of urbanization and its effects. In this regard, he said Nagaland is now contemplating ways to decongest its uplands by developing the foothill areas where both industrial and economic development goals can be pursued.
Pointing that while the issues of development for mountain regions are complex and cannot be generalized, Rio said common issues, challenges and a common future cannot be denied.
While expressing confidence that the summit will bring out tangible recommendations to face the challenges confronting the people on the preservation of their ecology and environment, the Chief Minister called upon the participants to seek solutions for better integration of the mountain people into the modern world without disturbing traditional foundations based on hard work, robust health and wise living.
He also expressed hope that the summit will succeed in making the people of India proud of their mountains.
Lok Sabha MP from Sikkim & convenor, IMI, PD Rai gave a brief overview of SMDS and the mission of IMI while underscoring the need for the people of India to recognize and realise the potential and knowledge of their mountains and their inhabitants.
Resident Coordinator, United Nations (New Delhi), Lise Grande, who delivered a short speech, termed the Himalayan ecosystem a “planetary treasure” where 700 million people use water from this region to survive.
“Everything that can be done should be done to sustain the Himalayan ecosystem,” she said. Unfortunately, there are many factors contributing to environmental stress of this region, she observed.
She assured the UN support for the sustainability of the region if the legislators, universities and communities and other stakeholders can commit to strive collectively towards this cause.
Another speaker, Program Manager- CCA-NER, GIZ Shillong, Helga Fink mentioned that she is from Germany, a country that has its own share of mountain regions. “There is so much that we can learn from each other,” she stated, indicating that her compatriots understand the issues of the mountain community. She lauded the SMDS team, saying the summits present a platform for people to learn the real challenges that the people of the mountain states faced. The exchange of dialogue between the government and civil societies for sustainable development is indispensible, she opined.
Others who spoke at the programme included Councillor and Director of Cooperation- Embassy of Switzerland, New Delhi, Janine Kuriger, Director General-International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Dr David Molden, Chief Secretary Nagaland & Convenor SMDS-III, Alemtemshi Jamir and Organizing Secretary SMDS-III, Amba Jamir.
Over 300 delegates from the Indian Himalayan states of Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Jammu & Kashmir, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and the hill districts of Assam, Tripura and West Bengal, 50 legislators from member states, bureaucrats, policy makers and various stakeholders are participating in the SMDS-III at Kohima.
