Shimla, Feb 21
The Shimla Collective will host the Shimla Climate Meet from March 19 to 21, 2024, with the theme of “Climate Change, Impacts, and Challenges in the Northwest Himalayan Region.” The Shimla Collective, is a body which finds representation from various sections of society with ecological and environmental concerns. The climate meet is being organized by Action Aid India and the collective, they stated in a media meet.
Addressing, former Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar, environmental activists Himanshu Sood and Ashok Kumar, Captain MS Bullar, Uma Mahajan, former Congress Counselor Mala Singh, and Raveen Singh announced the event.
Former Deputy Mayor Panwar mentioned that the IPCC VII report is expected to be published soon. However the IPCC VI report has highlighted the Coastal Indian and Himalayan Region as the two most vulnerable zones in the Indian subcontinent subjective to climate change. The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) comprises 11 states and two union territories. The stakeholders, under the banner of the Shimla Collective, aim to raise awareness among various groups, including students, citizens, and organizations, through community-based campaigns in all these states.
“ Climate change is showcasing its impact, and in such a stage “adaptive ‘ measures hold the key to sustainable survival of populace in these areas, he stated.
The Shimla Climate Meet (SCM) is being organized against the backdrop of ongoing disasters in the Himalayan region, especially concerns following the recent flooding in Himachal Pradesh.
According to the IPCC report, climate change caused by anthropogenic reasons will lead to significant changes in weather patterns, such as reduced snowfall, increased rainfall in shorter periods, and a rise in extreme weather events, etc.
The Shimla climate meet will discuss lessons learnt from disasters in the Himalayan Region and strategies for mitigation and adaptation. The awareness campaign will include street plays, starting with one at Naaz on the Mall road of Shimla on February 22, followed by more performances in the town.
Dissemination campaigns will engage school and college students in discussions on climate change and their role in addressing it. Competitions for poster making and slogan creation will also be organized.
During the meet, experts from the Northwest Himalayan region will develop strategies for mitigation and climate change adaptation in Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir. Stakeholders invited include Hotels entrepreneurs, guides, hotel workers, Street vendors, SHGs, Apple trade stakeholders, Industrial workers and even Pastorals, among others, they stated.
“ We will even extend invitation to government policymakers and opposition leaders, so that together a road map for future development can be drawn keeping climate change in mainframe,” they stated in reply to a question.
Among current suggestions the Shimla Collective has advocated for reducing the use of flex, promoting environmentally friendly construction materials, and addressing other challenges such as urban development under the Shimla Development Plan. “For example, we cannot have the same architecture for houses built in mountains like those in plains,” exemplified Panwar.
The town of Shimla faces challenges such as hill erosion, landslides, and vector-borne diseases due to climate change. The SCM aims to bring together stakeholders to develop sustainable development models to address ecosystem challenges and climate change impacts.
