Events

How Safe are Our Mountain Habitats? Pre-Summit Workshop: A Curtain Raiser to IV Sustainable Mountain Development Summit

From: 07.10.2015 to: 09.10.2015

The IV Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS) will be held in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh on 7, 8, and 9 October 2015.  SMDS-IV assumes immense relevance and significance for mountain states of India as it is being organized in the aftermath of the massive earthquake in Nepal, which as once again, brought to the global attention the issue of natural disaster in the Himalayas and its ramifications on the life and properties in the mountain regions.  Once again, questions pertaining to the efficacy of science concerning natural disaster, risk assessment, preparedness and risk reduction, mitigation, appropriate technology etc. are being raised at various quarters and at different levels.  It is for this reason that the major theme of the IV SMDS is Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in the Mountain Region – Policy, Planning and Implementation.

The need to look at the learning from repeated disasters in the Himalayan region, risk assessment mechanisms, state of preparedness, risk reduction mechanism and rehabilitations processes have become even more urgent and significant.  Other connected concerns are the issues of urban development, town planning, technology and innovation vis-à-vis natural disaster in the mountain region.  Disaster management policy at national level, state level, its efficacy, mechanism for assessing disaster, mechanism for risk reduction and rehabilitation are issues that will be at the core of more in-depth debate discussion

Pre-Summit DRR Workshop:

To lend further depth and structure to the deliberations at the summit, the need for a pre-summit workshop on the important theme of DRR was urgently felt.  The workshop would operate as a means of delineating pathways for the theme at IV SMDS as well as be a curtain raiser to the summit. 

Panelists include:

• Dr Ajit Tyagi, former Director General of India Meteorology Department
• Dr Malay Mukul, Department of Earth Sciences, IIT Mumbai
• Dr Chandan Ghosh, GeoHazard Dept, National Institute of Disaster Management, New Delhi
• Dr Sunil De, Department of Geography, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong
  
  

Goal:

Delineate pathways of Disaster Risk Reduction conversations and the grounded discourse for IV SMDS

Objectives:

1. Bring together a representative group of individuals and organizations from the Himalayas to brainstorm on DRR in the region
2. Delineate thematic key issues on DRR in the Himalayas and develop a working paper to lead up to IV SMDS

Methodology:

A workshop will be facilitated with key representatives: point persons from the 11 mountain states, Darjeeling Hills and NC hills addressing the of disaster; individuals and organizations working on issues of natural resource management; national bodies addressing issues of disaster (as much as possible representations of these bodies will be key persons for the mountains) and specialists.  The workshop will be facilitated through panel discussions and small group discussions.

Major Thematic Areas Proposed:

1. The Indian Himalayan pre and post disaster experience – policy and community spaces
2. Disaster risk and existing development pathways
3. Climate change and disaster risk reduction
4. Sectoral convergence to address Himalayan Disaster 

Expected Outputs:

1. Key issues on DRR identified for IV SMDS
2. Outline document for a working paper on DRR for the Himalayas: Policy and Practical Recommendations, that will be finalized during IV SMDS
3. Policy outreach actions identified.
   
   

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Photo: Integrated Mountain Initiative