Leading policymakers, climate scientists, architects, and governance experts gathered at the India International Centre for the Himalayan Roundtable, a closed-door dialogue hosted by the CP Kukreja Foundation for Design Excellence.
The event tackled mounting environmental pressures on the Himalayas, one of the world’s most fragile ecosystems, amid rapid economic growth, tourism booms, infrastructure expansion, and urbanisation.
The roundtable featured experts including P. Subramanyam, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Arunachal Pradesh, Lt. Gen. Harpal Singh (Retd), Ajit Pai, Chairman, Delhi Urban Art Commission, Amit Prothi, Director General, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure,, and architect Dikshu C. Kukreja, Managing Principal, CP Kukreja Architects.
Subramanyam stressed balancing conservation with livelihoods: “Arunachal Pradesh holds one of the richest forest ecosystems in India… Collaborative platforms like this are crucial for innovative solutions that protect our forests while supporting responsible economic growth.”
Lt. Gen. Singh called for strategic governance: “The Himalayas are a living ecosystem supporting millions. Unregulated expansion can have irreversible consequences for ecological stability and disaster resilience.”
Ajit Pai advocated context-sensitive design: “Sustainable design, low-impact infrastructure, and culturally sensitive development must become the foundation for all future projects.”
Dr. Dipankar Saharia of TERI warned of climate signals: “Erratic rainfall, landslides, flash floods are deeper climatic shifts combined with human pressures. Policy, science, and community engagement are essential.”
Dikshu Kukreja emphasised architecture’s role: “Sustainable design is essential if economic growth does not come at the cost of environmental degradation.”
Discussions spotlighted unregulated tourism, deforestation, erratic weather, and urban strains fueling landslides and floods. Experts urged policy reforms, resilient infrastructure, responsible tourism, and community involvement to protect the region’s rivers, biodiversity, and water security for South Asia.
The experts will now work on a white paper that will be presented to the government to ensure that future policy decisions are made keeping in mind the Himalayan biosphere.
