Urbanization in Himalayas: Emerging Crises and Civil Society

Urbanization in the Hindu-Kush regions, comprising India, Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Maynmar, is expected to have more than fifty per cent of its population living in mountain cities by 2050. The rapid urban sprawl- horizontal and vertical, encroachments over agricultural and forest lands, submergence of villages due to construction of power generation dams, and infrastructural development activities, have adversely affected mountain inhabitants, ecology and both renewable and non-renewable resources. In the Indian Himalaya alone almost fifty per cent of the perennial springs, spread over several states have either dried up or become seasonal. The Hindu-Kush region and its constituent countries also confront similar challenges.

The challenges are: How to restore ecological equilibrium, reduce black carbon, developing sustainable communities, resource mobilization, workout efficient and effective strategies, technological advancements and a strong civil society? The challenges call for serious deliberations on the following:

1. Theoretical, Conceptual and Methodological Issues in Urban Development, Climate Change, Ecological Crises and Urban Sustainability
2. Marginalization of Agriculture, Communities, and Exodus of Mountain Dwellers
3. Climate Change, Depletion of Bio-diversity, Livelihood Challenges and Food Insecurity
4. Emerging Urban Inequalities, Inequities, Slums, Sanitation and Health Problems
5. Communities and Civil Society’s Response to Building Sustainable Himalaya

The session calls for scientific information based facts and well researched inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary papers based on empirical and secondary data sources analysis.