New Delhi, April 20: A new white paper titled “The Future of the Himalayas: Rethinking Development and Resilience” has called for a major shift in development planning across the Indian Himalayan Region, warning that current approaches fail to account for the fragile nature of mountain ecosystems.
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| Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu releases the white paper titled “The Future of the Himalayas: Rethinking Development and Resilience” at the India International Centre in New Delhi. (Image: x.com/PemaKhanduBJP) |
The report, published by the CP Kukreja Foundation for Design Excellence, was based on discussions from a multidisciplinary Himalayan Roundtable that brought together experts from governance, engineering, ecology and social sciences.
Launched at the India International Centre, the white paper highlights a 15–20% increase in extreme rainfall events since the 1950s, along with a rise in landslides and growing stress on infrastructure systems across the Himalayan region.
According to the report, these developments are not isolated incidents but indicators of a deeper mismatch between traditional development models and the environmental realities of fragile mountain landscapes.
The document calls for a shift from project-based development to system-level planning, emphasising the need to consider the interconnected nature of Himalayan ecosystems while designing infrastructure and policies.
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The white paper was released by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Ministe Pema Khandu, who praised the initiative and described the document as an important guide for policymakers addressing the challenges facing the region.
Khandu also commended the foundation, led by Dikshu C. Kukreja, for organising the symposium and facilitating expert discussions on sustainable development in the Himalayas.
He noted that the report proposes a systems-based, design-led framework aimed at balancing infrastructure development with ecological protection and cultural preservation in the Indian Himalayan Region. Khandu further expressed hope that the findings would encourage broader dialogue and collaboration among policymakers, researchers and stakeholders.
