HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Dec 19: On the concluding day of Balipara Foundation’s 11th edition of the annual Eastern Himalayan NaturenomicsTM Forum held in the city, themed ‘Great People’s Forest 2030’, several conversations took place to formulate a regional strategy for restoration. The Forum addressed strategies for leveraging youth engagement, the role of technology, policy, and the economy to drive the restoration agenda. Additionally, it developed themes around land, energy, waste, water, air, carbon (LEWWAC), and their role in shaping a regenerative future for the Eastern Himalaya.
In the opening keynote, Ram Madhav, president of India Foundation, set the context for the day by emphasising the importance of returning to basics with critical elements of a regenerative economy. He stated, “In a country like India, developmental imperatives are very important, but at the same time, in the long run, ecological conservation is equally important. Especially, the Himalayan region is a lifeline for the entire India. We need to find a balance between the two. And for that, you need to have a large stakeholder approach.”
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This was followed by a session moderated by Dr Sonali Ghosh, the current director of Kaziranga National Park. In a conversation with Dr Rathin Barman, director of Wildlife Trust of India, Monica Kishore Pasupuleti, IFS, deputy conservator of Forests in Assam, and David Smith from WWF India, they delved into the problem of coexistence between Asian Elephants and communities and the role of restoration, ecological connectivity, and ecosystem management in reducing this.
Addressing the development and harmony with wildlife in one of the panels, Dr Rathin Barman, chief of Northeast Wildlife Strategy and Liaison at Wildlife Trust of India, stated, “Development doesn’t mean concrete buildings; it means green buildings. We don’t see sparrows today because there is no space left for them for nesting. We need to create buildings, a place, and a planet where we and nature exist together in harmony.” Further, he applauded Balipara Foundation’s initiatives that are successfully working towards this kind of development.
In sessions exploring themes of water, waste, and energy, experts on these subjects discussed strategies for watershed restoration that can replenish critical water systems. There were key discussions around the importance of waste management in reducing environmental degradation and pathways to decarbonising energy systems to deliver energy security to people in the Eastern Himalayan region. Many experts opined on enhancing protections for at-risk ecosystems that sit on top of resource-rich lands as well.
The Royal Rajasthan Foundation, the charitable wing of the Rajasthan Royals, hosted a special session on building sustainability within the sports world and the ways in which sports can be used to raise awareness and encourage action on critical environmental challenges.
Speaking at the forum on sustainability in sports, Dr Sonali Ghosh, director of Kaziranga National Park, stated, “There are two things in India that are most popular – Bollywood and Sports. Both of them can work towards a sustainable future. I have noticed this in Assam, how the youth who are representing India on a national level are working in the same direction. One way to make sports sustainable is to organise sports events in smaller towns rather than focusing only on metro cities.”
The Forum’s theme derives from the ambitious Great People’s Forest initiative launched in partnership between the Balipara Foundation and Conservation International earlier this year at the G20 to restore 1 million hectares of forests and farmlands by 2030. With a coalition of partners that includes ATREE and TERI, the initiative will see work launch in spring 2024 through its first rapid-scaling portfolio launched at COP28 – with the Forum serving as a platform to bring together the coalition to chart how to achieve this ambitious goal. The conversations held over the past two days will form the backbone defining a pathway for enabling restoration at scale under this initiative.
The Forum closes with the presentation of Balipara Foundation Awards to the heroes working for the conservation of nature in the Eastern Himalayas.
