Scholars and experts from across India and abroad working on different aspects of the Himalaya will be participating in a three-day international seminar on ‘Himalayan challenges- towards inter-disciplinary dialogues for sustainability and development’ at the Doon University. Being organised by the Sri Dev Suman Uttarakhand University (SDSUU), the seminar will be inaugurated by the Uttarakhand Governor Krishan Kant Paul on Wednesday, said the SDSUU vice chancellor US Rawat.
Addressing the media at the Doon University, Rawat said that the Chancellor of the university had earlier aired concern about universities in the State lacking in research and development activities. The international seminar on challenges in the Himalayan region is a step towards filling this gap. The SDSUU VC said that global climate change would have a major impact on the Himalayan region. Referring to Uttarakhand, he recalled how the areas above 3,500 feet altitude which used to experience snowfall some decades ago now experience rain instead of snowfall. In a region where there are various types of ecosystems, the biodiversity is also being affected negatively by climate change. He said, “Noise, air and water pollution is rising. On the other hand, agricultural land is shrinking. Traditional crop systems are also being affected negatively by climate change. We need to conduct research on this and on other factors like the impact of tourism. There was a time when hardly a few helicopter flights to Kedarnath were operated in a day but now this number has drastically increased. The carbon being emitted by the helicopters is also going to affect the environment. In Uttarakhand, tourism and development are both contradictory and complementary,” he added.
He further informed that 22 guest speakers will deliver keynote addresses during 11 sessions in the three-day international seminar. The aim of the seminar is to bring experts of science and social science on one platform to deliberate upon various important aspects of the Himalaya. Abstracts from 281 research papers will also be released on the occasion. Research papers to be presented are focused on aspects including environment and development, human-wildlife conflict, rivers and dams, waste management and media and literature.
The Doon University vice chancellor Kusum Arunachalam said that about two dozen research papers had also been submitted by the students of the university’s School of Environment and Natural Resources for the seminar. Deliberations in the seminar will provide important information especially for the researchers, she added. The seminar coordinator professor Harsh Dobhal informed that more than 300 research papers will be presented in the three-day seminar. Doon University’s professor HC Purohit and HNB Garhwal Central University’s SP Sati were also among those present.