Mountain Summit Kohima 2013

The Himalayan region in India covers about 5 lakh square km and consists of ten states and two districts, inhabited by approximately 64 million people as per the 2001 census.  Water resources in the region are under stress due to increasing population, erratic rainfall and winter aridity due to climate change.

The mountain states of India face common issues and challenges. Similarly, mountain peoples across the Himalayan region have realised that the solutions to meet these challenges are also similar. Implementing them will become easier if the states work together. A common front will make it easier for the Himalayan States to present their strategies for development to the Centre.

Map of the Himalayan states of India

With this end in view, the Indian Mountain Initiative (IMI) was conceived by the Central Himalayan Environment Association (CHEA) in 2010 at Nainital. It  attempts to provide a platform for sustained and effective dialogue to bring mountain concerns to the  national and global agenda. The initiative brings the eleven mountain states of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) including the hill districts of Assam and West Bengal onto this platform.

The 3rd Mountain Summit was  held in Kohima, Nagaland in September 2013 around the themes of forest, water, and agriculture.

Rather than invite papers from selected authors and presenters, the summit chose an approach designed to maximise participation. Contributions in a variety of forms, including papers, articles, photos and movies were invited from a wide array of people. These were collated and their points included in a synthesis paper which was circulated to all the delegates in advance of the summit. This paper then provided a base document for the deliberations during the summit. This ensured that instead of a limited number of speakers, people across the mountain states including those who could not be physically present at the summit could have their say. Each theme was managed by a group of anchors who were responsible for collating the submissions and providing direction to the discussions.

The water theme was organised around four issues :

  • Water conflicts
  • Water rights and access (including governance and gender issues)
  • Innovations and technologies for mountain water management/conservation
  • Policy gaps and opportunities in water conservation and management

Climate change is a reality in the mountains, more than in any other part of the world. It influences every aspect of life in the Himalayan region. Conflicts are exacerbated by heightened water insecurity, which also affects peoples' access to water. Technologies need to take into consideration future weather and water behaviour in a changing world and policies for water conservation also need to keep an eye on future changes. Climate change was therefore a cross-cutting issue.

India Water Portal co-hosted the Water theme. We, along with the anchors,  were responsible for inviting submissions for that theme, collating them, managing the sessions, as well as documenting the proceedings. The articles featured below present submissions received by the water theme, key presentations, interviews with some of the delegates, and videos of the summit proceedings.

Download the synthesis paper

Download the final presentations on water, forest and agriculture

 

 

Featured Articles
March 19, 2014 Water conflicts in Arunachal Pradesh have left power projects and people at opposite ends of the struggle. Understanding, and not merely suppressing people, will help resolve this conflict.
Potential powerhouse ( Source: Wikimedia)
March 19, 2014 The solution to water scarcity due to the shrinking monsoon season & the resultant declining discharge of natural springs lies in storing water. For this the forestland needs to be conserved.
Rural water security in Sikkim
March 19, 2014 Tourism and other human interventions in the Bhimtal area in Uttarakhand has led to drastic changes that have altered the way of life and land use in the region. Can this trend be reversed?
Bhimtal Lake (Source: Wkipedia)
March 19, 2014 Generalization and mere quotas for women will not solve this gender bias. Involvement and empowerment of women are necessary for initiatives to succeed in the water sector.
Women & water ( Source: Arghyam)
February 24, 2014 Hydropower development is creating various types of conflict in Northeast India. How can we contain the unrest due to this spate of dam construction?
Maneri Bhali dam- Source:Peoples Science Institute
February 16, 2014 Fish found in streams and rivers are a source of food to about 40% of the households in parts of the Himalayas. Including fisheries in local watershed management is crucial.
Fish harvested from a pond in Doon Valley
Invite to the 'Young Ecologists Talk and Interact (YETI-2013)', Nagaland University, Zunheboto, Nagaland, December 16-19, 2013
A friendly and inspiring platform for ecologists to present and discuss their work, exchange ideas, and even strike up collaborations with contemporaries across the country.
Posted on 17 Nov, 2013 12:55 PM

For more information on the event, please click here.

To register for the same, click here.

You may download the poster from below.

Young Ecologists Talk and Interact
Call for Proposal 'SERVIR-Himalaya Small Grants Programme', ICIMOD
Aim is to help utilize geospatial tools and services to improve decision-making related to sustainable mountain development with a special focus on climate adaptation, vulnerability or mitigation.
Posted on 04 Nov, 2013 11:42 AM

For further information on the organisation, The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), please click here.

Sanawar school makes good use of its sewage
The Lawrence School, Sanawar, couldn't meet its water requirements until it implemented a wastewater recycling program within its campus. It is now water-surplus. Posted on 20 Sep, 2013 04:46 PM

If you visit Shimla during the summers, you will notice people being asked to use water judiciously. You will likely see tankers queue up around residential areas as the supply from the municipal corporation declines. Why would a hill station that is fed by mountain rivers and overlooked by glorious snow peaks face water scarcity?

The Lawrence School, Sanawar. Source: Pankaj Sapru
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