Mountain Summit Kohima 2013

The Himalayan region in India covers about 5 lakh square km and consists of ten states and two districts, inhabited by approximately 64 million people as per the 2001 census.  Water resources in the region are under stress due to increasing population, erratic rainfall and winter aridity due to climate change.

The mountain states of India face common issues and challenges. Similarly, mountain peoples across the Himalayan region have realised that the solutions to meet these challenges are also similar. Implementing them will become easier if the states work together. A common front will make it easier for the Himalayan States to present their strategies for development to the Centre.

Map of the Himalayan states of India

With this end in view, the Indian Mountain Initiative (IMI) was conceived by the Central Himalayan Environment Association (CHEA) in 2010 at Nainital. It  attempts to provide a platform for sustained and effective dialogue to bring mountain concerns to the  national and global agenda. The initiative brings the eleven mountain states of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) including the hill districts of Assam and West Bengal onto this platform.

The 3rd Mountain Summit was  held in Kohima, Nagaland in September 2013 around the themes of forest, water, and agriculture.

Rather than invite papers from selected authors and presenters, the summit chose an approach designed to maximise participation. Contributions in a variety of forms, including papers, articles, photos and movies were invited from a wide array of people. These were collated and their points included in a synthesis paper which was circulated to all the delegates in advance of the summit. This paper then provided a base document for the deliberations during the summit. This ensured that instead of a limited number of speakers, people across the mountain states including those who could not be physically present at the summit could have their say. Each theme was managed by a group of anchors who were responsible for collating the submissions and providing direction to the discussions.

The water theme was organised around four issues :

  • Water conflicts
  • Water rights and access (including governance and gender issues)
  • Innovations and technologies for mountain water management/conservation
  • Policy gaps and opportunities in water conservation and management

Climate change is a reality in the mountains, more than in any other part of the world. It influences every aspect of life in the Himalayan region. Conflicts are exacerbated by heightened water insecurity, which also affects peoples' access to water. Technologies need to take into consideration future weather and water behaviour in a changing world and policies for water conservation also need to keep an eye on future changes. Climate change was therefore a cross-cutting issue.

India Water Portal co-hosted the Water theme. We, along with the anchors,  were responsible for inviting submissions for that theme, collating them, managing the sessions, as well as documenting the proceedings. The articles featured below present submissions received by the water theme, key presentations, interviews with some of the delegates, and videos of the summit proceedings.

Download the synthesis paper

Download the final presentations on water, forest and agriculture

 

 

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Featured Articles
March 19, 2014 Water conflicts in Arunachal Pradesh have left power projects and people at opposite ends of the struggle. Understanding, and not merely suppressing people, will help resolve this conflict.
Potential powerhouse ( Source: Wikimedia)
March 19, 2014 The solution to water scarcity due to the shrinking monsoon season & the resultant declining discharge of natural springs lies in storing water. For this the forestland needs to be conserved.
Rural water security in Sikkim
March 19, 2014 Tourism and other human interventions in the Bhimtal area in Uttarakhand has led to drastic changes that have altered the way of life and land use in the region. Can this trend be reversed?
Bhimtal Lake (Source: Wkipedia)
March 19, 2014 Generalization and mere quotas for women will not solve this gender bias. Involvement and empowerment of women are necessary for initiatives to succeed in the water sector.
Women & water ( Source: Arghyam)
February 24, 2014 Hydropower development is creating various types of conflict in Northeast India. How can we contain the unrest due to this spate of dam construction?
Maneri Bhali dam- Source:Peoples Science Institute
February 16, 2014 Fish found in streams and rivers are a source of food to about 40% of the households in parts of the Himalayas. Including fisheries in local watershed management is crucial.
Fish harvested from a pond in Doon Valley
Sikkim's citizens say NO! to dams
90% of people living around dams in Sikkim testify to environmental damage, increased hazards and decreased resources. Can their situation be changed? Posted on 13 Jan, 2014 02:18 PM

Hydropower is considered as 'green' power and the Sikkim Government's policy has been to synchronize development imperatives with conscious efforts on environment sustainability. This paper presents the results of a survey carried out among communities living along a 54-km long project affected stretch of the Teesta river.

Dams intensify the impact of earthquakes
Small schemes, big impact
Local knowledge, low cost technology, community participation and maximum conservation of available water from natural sources have helped increase available water in Pauri Garhwal. Posted on 13 Jan, 2014 01:54 PM

Despite being endowed with adequate rainfall, most parts of the Himalayas are considered water-stressed for both agricultural and domestic purposes. This is mainly due to the seasonality of precipitation, which is concentrated to the monsoon months. It remains dry for rest of the year.

A recharge pit under construction (Source: HIMCON)
Resource-rich Sikkim must save for its future
Despite being fed by 84 glaciers, the state fails to optimally use water. Climate change is just one cause for this situation. What can be done to alter this trend? Posted on 13 Jan, 2014 01:30 PM

The term ‘water tower’ has been widely adopted to express the importance of mountains in providing freshwater to downstream areas. In fact, more than half of humanity relies on freshwater from mountain regions (UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation).  

A Mohaan, the source of springs or dharas.
Damming Bhutan affects India
Could there be a repeat of the 2004 dam breach caused by the bursting of the Tsatichu lake that resulted in flooding areas of Assam? Posted on 06 Jan, 2014 08:54 AM

Hydropower development in Bhutan has gained considerable ground as a sector capable of contributing to the development of the country. In 2012, Bhutan earned $177 million through energy export. However, these developmental activities are also prone to natural hazards like landslides since the region lies in a high risk earthquake prone zone and also registers heavy rainfall.

Manas river flowing through wildlife sanctuary
Restoring water supply to Nagaland's hills
Damage of water pipelines due to landslides can be tackled by creating quick action plans and alternative sustainable sources. Posted on 06 Jan, 2014 08:52 AM

Nagaland depends on surface sources such as streams, rivulets, springs and ponds, which are monsoon fed for its drinking water. However, the quantity of water in these sources has depleted across the state. This could be due to deforestation, jhum cultivation and other human intervention.

A damaged water pipeline in Nagaland
Troubled waters of the Northeast
Modern development models for the remote hills of the Northeast are replacing age-old conventions thereby creating inequity in the distribution of water. Posted on 15 Dec, 2013 09:12 PM

On a train journey from Nagaland, a friend and I began talking on the subject of water. He said to me, "You have so much water in the Brahmaputra Valley and your lands are always flooded but we have to struggle for a drop of water in the hills".

Hills of Northeast India Source: Wikipedia
Think like a forest
Deforestation and climate change are only two of the issues that confront Himalayan forests today. What are the others and are there solutions to protect these forests? Posted on 01 Dec, 2013 08:28 PM

Himalayan forests span a two-and-a-half thousand kilometer stretch and have a wide range of climates; they are beset by problems that need innovative solutions. Rajesh Thadani discussed these problems and possible solutions at  the Sustainable Mountain Development Summit organised in Kohima, September 2013. 

Forest cover is declining

Quality of a forest matters as much as quantity
Floods need not equate disasters
A mix of high-tech and low-tech systems, government initiatives as well as a community level approach is needed to manage floods in the Himalayas. Posted on 24 Nov, 2013 11:19 AM

 Every year, we have about 76 disasters in the Himalayas, some 36,000 people are killed and over a million affected by disasters. The loss of life and damage does not need to occur. How people manage the situation can relieve the situation much better.

About a third of these disasters are from floods. In the Himalaya, there are two broad kinds of flooding:

Do floods have to cause loss?
Their world is hot, flat and crowded
Mountain farmers are reaping greater economic benefits but that is coming at the cost of traditional crops and natural resources. How long can this type of growth be sustained? Posted on 24 Nov, 2013 11:16 AM

Mountain farmers are facing a very volatile situation right now. Food crops are being replaced by cash crops, which return better dividends. Due to this, their overall economy has gotten much better. As a whole, more of them are migrating from rural to urban areas.

Terraced farming is the norm in mountain states
Money alone won't do for the mountain states
Exclusive policies, preservation of traditional practices and efficient trade linkages can help mountain farmers reap a good harvest. Posted on 24 Nov, 2013 11:14 AM

Can we really address the special needs of mountain states by allocating them more money? Isn't it essential that we leave the 'one size fits all' approach and recognise the exclusive challenges and opportunities which mountain farmers face as compared to farmers in the plains? 

Traditional crops need institutional support.
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