Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, July 27

The University of Kashmir (KU) started a three-day workshop aimed at developing strategies to conserve and restore alpine grasslands in the Western Himalayas, bringing together scientists, policymakers, forest officials and local stakeholders.

The workshop, titled “Rehabilitating Alpine Grasslands of the Western Himalayas: Connecting Science, Policy and Communities”, is being organised by the university’s Centre for Biodiversity and Taxonomy in collaboration with the G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, University of Ladakh and HNB Garhwal University.

The programme is sponsored by India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change under the National Mission on Himalayan Studies.

The workshop seeks to promote evidence-based approaches to biodiversity conservation, sustainable ecosystem management and community participation in restoring fragile mountain landscapes.

KU Vice Chancellor Nilofer Khan said protecting Himalayan ecosystems required sustained cooperation among academic institutions, government agencies and local communities.

“Universities have an important role in generating scientific knowledge that supports informed environmental policies and sustainable resource management,” she said, adding that collaborative initiatives could strengthen research and lead to practical solutions to ecological challenges.

Tawheed Ahmad Deva, Regional Wildlife Warden, Kashmir, highlighted the growing environmental pressures on alpine ecosystems and said community participation would be critical to the long-term conservation of Himalayan biodiversity.

University officials also stressed the need for interdisciplinary research to address the region’s ecological challenges.

The workshop’s organising secretary, Anzar Ahmad Khuroo, said the programme was designed to examine the ecological importance of alpine grasslands, emerging threats and practical approaches to rehabilitation through scientific research and engagement with stakeholders.

The three-day programme includes expert lectures, training sessions, technical presentations and interactive discussions, as well as field-oriented deliberations on biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration and sustainable management of alpine grasslands across the Western Himalayas.

The initiative brings together expertise from multiple institutions in an effort to link scientific research and policy with the needs and knowledge of communities living in the Himalayan region.