Contouring Sustainable Himalayan Landscapes with Inclusive Viksit Bharat
Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS) is the Integrated Mountain Initiative's flagship annual conclave. Every year 3–5 salient themes engaging the immediate attention of and relevant to the mountains and hills are taken up for threadbare discussion and debate. Conclusions and recommendations emerging from this exercise are pursued by IMI subsequently for actionable output.
Read the full context →Four milestones between the call for abstracts and registration. Full detail on the Participation page.
Each edition has produced specific policy briefings and recommendations helping change the dialogue on development practices and policies for the mountain states.
| SMDS | Thematic Focus |
|---|---|
| SMDS-I (2011), Nainital | Hydropower; Adaptation Measures under Climate Change; Rural Tourism; Community Forestry |
| SMDS-II (2012), Gangtok | Water, Forests & Communities; Mountain Livelihoods |
| SMDS-III (2013), Kohima | Forests; Water: Rivers, Streams & Springs; Mountain Agriculture |
| SMDS-IV (2015), Itanagar | Disaster Risk Reduction; Mountain Agriculture; Forests |
| SMDS-V (2016), Leh | Water Security; Skills for Development in the Mountains |
| SMDS-VI (2017), Aizawl | Climate Change & Sustainable Mountain Cities |
| SMDS-VII (2018), Solan | Well-being of Next Generation of Farmers in the Indian Himalayan Region |
| SMDS-VIII (2019), Shillong | Livelihood & Entrepreneurship for Youth |
| SMDS-IX (2020) | Sustainable Mountain Development in the Context of COVID-19; Resilient Mountain Economies |
| SMDS-X (2021) | Sustainable Mountain Development; Building Resilience and Enhancing Livelihoods |
| SMDS-XI (2022) | Climate Resilience; Livelihoods & Natural Resource Management |
| SMDS-XII (2023) | Resilient and Sustainable Mountain Communities |
| SMDS-XIII (2024/25) | Climate Action; Resilient Livelihoods & Sustainable Mountain Landscapes |
| SMDS-XIV (2026), Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir | Contouring Sustainable Himalayan Landscape with Inclusive Viksit Bharat (to be conducted at SKUAST-K) |
Each of these summits have been characterized by diverse discussions, debates and exchanges, producing specific policy briefings and recommendations. Every summit had 200–300 participants, representing a diverse mix of policymakers, eminent scientists, researchers, academics, research and educational institutions, government representatives, legislators, business and industry representatives, international, national and grassroots-level NGOs, field practitioners, consultants, experts, eminent citizens, and media.
Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India – 190025
skuastkashmir.ac.in
'Tayakhim', J-155, Tadong, Gangtok, Sikkim – 737102
mountaininitiative.in
