7 hrs ago
Experts Seek Integrated Climate and Development Strategy for Eastern Himalayas
Experts met in Kalimpong to talk about the future of the Eastern Himalayas.
They said the region is important for India’s economy, environment, security and connections with nearby countries.
They also said different problems should be solved together instead of separately.
These problems include climate change, transportation, safety and local development.
The mountains are facing glacier loss, changing rivers and more extreme weather.
These changes can affect people’s homes, jobs, water and safety.
Speakers said local communities should help design solutions because they understand the region well.
They also called the Himalayas important natural infrastructure that supports people and ecosystems far beyond the mountains.
Experts at the Eastern Himalayan Dialogue 2026 called for integrated policies linking development, climate resilience, security and local aspirations.
The dialogue was held in Kalimpong, West Bengal, under the theme “The Eastern Himalayas: Towards a Strategic, Resilient, and Inclusive Future.”
Participants highlighted the region’s importance to India’s economic growth, environmental security, connectivity and engagement with neighbouring countries.
Speakers discussed glacier retreat, changing river systems, extreme weather and ecosystem pressures affecting water security, livelihoods and infrastructure.
Experts urged stronger connections between infrastructure and ecology, national priorities and local needs, and economic transformation and institutional capacity.
- Who
- Policymakers, scholars, practitioners, institutional leaders and regional stakeholders, including Shishir Priyadarshi, Mahendra P Lama and Eklabya Sharma.
- What
- The Eastern Himalayan Dialogue 2026 examined the region’s strategic importance, climate resilience, connectivity, development and local aspirations.
- Where
- Kalimpong, West Bengal, India.
- When
- Monday, during the 2026 Eastern Himalayan Dialogue.
- Why
- To promote sustained policy discussion and integrated approaches linking development, climate resilience, security, connectivity and community interests.
Key facts
- Event
- Eastern Himalayan Dialogue 2026
- Theme
- The Eastern Himalayas: Towards a Strategic, Resilient, and Inclusive Future
- Location
- Kalimpong, West Bengal
- Conveners
- Chintan Research Foundation and Eastern Himalayan Centre for Public Policy
- Main policy focus
- Connectivity, security, climate change, development and local aspirations
- Climate concerns
- Glacier retreat, changing river systems, extreme weather and pressure on mountain ecosystems
- Development priorities
- Sustainable livelihoods, human capital, service delivery and stronger institutions
Quotes
Shishir Priyadarshi
President of the Chintan Research Foundation.
“The Himalayas need to be recognised not merely as areas for conservation or beneficiaries of development, but as natural infrastructure that sustains lives, economies and ecosystems far beyond the mountains. We need to move beyond fragmented projects towards systemic approaches that bring science, policy and practice together, with communities as co-owners of the solutions.”
thehansindia.com
“Holding a dialogue about the Eastern Himalayas in the Eastern Himalayas changes who can take part and what we are likely to hear. It gives those who work and live here a more direct place in a discussion that too often takes shape at a distance.”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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