Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, Aug 3

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday called for nature-based solutions to strengthen climate resilience in the Himalayan region, saying development and conservation should be pursued together.

Speaking at a conference organised by the Islamic University of Science and Technology, Sinha said climate change was accelerating and that Jammu and Kashmir had suffered damage to roads, water systems and power infrastructure from flash floods and cloudbursts.

He urged policymakers and experts to place nature-based solutions at the centre of development planning and called for the use of remote sensing, geospatial mapping and artificial intelligence to monitor glaciers, springs, soil and forests.

Sinha said farmers, shepherds, orchard owners and tribal communities should be treated as equal stakeholders, while development projects should incorporate environmental considerations into budgeting, appraisal and monitoring.

He also called for the restoration of floodplains and wetlands alongside conventional infrastructure and urged universities to promote nature-based solutions as a multidisciplinary field.

Recalling the Green Jammu Kashmir Drive launched in 2020, Sinha said forest cover had risen to nearly 55 percent.

He also inaugurated engineering and law facilities at IUST and released a special edition of the university’s magazine on an anti-drug campaign and a policy brief on the Nasha Mukt Jammu and Kashmir Abhiyan.