Mountain States to come together for 9th Sustainable Mountain Development Summit
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 30 2020: The Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI) announced that the 9th Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS) will be held from December 11 till 14 and the 3rd Indian Himalayan Youth Summit (IYHS) from December 8 till 9 .

These flagship events are held annually, and this year, the SMDS is to be held in a virtual mode, bringing together a host of eminent speakers, key voices from the mountains and delegates from across the Indian Himalayan Region.

SMDS IX is to be hosted by the State Chapter of IMI, the Sustainable Development Forum of Uttarakhand in Dehradun.

The summit will have participation and delegates from all the ten mountain States, two Union Territories and two hill districts of West Bengal which constitute the IHR.

The theme chosen this year is topical - Emerging Pathways for Building a resilient Post COVID-19 Mountain Economy - Adaptation, Innovation and Acceleration.

Under this broader theme, discussions on six separate sub themes are planned - Migration and the local economy, Water Security, Disaster Risk Reduction, Innovative Farm Solutions, Green Future & Digital Jobs.

Action points will emerge in the synthesis panel which will draw on the outcomes of the panel but will focus on partnerships, innovative funding and adaptive institutions.

The summit will bring together policy makers, think tanks, Government representatives, experts, academicians, practitioners, NGOs and students.

The Mountain Legislators' Meet, a key feature of SMDS will also be held during the summit.

Discussion will centre around the pandemic and vaccine availability and the Future of Tourism in the Mountains.

The Summit will also declare the winners of the Himalayan Photography Contest 2020 and conduct the Dr RS Tolia Memorial Award 2020 and special lecture.

The IMI has been working relentlessly for ushering in sustainable development in the Indian Himalayan region for the past ten years.

IMI has influenced policy makers on vital issues facing the mountains.

Understanding these concerns first amongst ourselves and then arguing it cogently to the policy makers forms part of IMI's playbook.

The summit will present action research to help practitioners in the development sector to engage with the people and institutions.

This will create a mountain collective to facilitate collaborative thinking, consensus building and coordinated action.

IMI had urged all interested members of the Government, civil society and others to join the summit by registering in the link: http://smds.mountaininitiative.in/ .

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