Calls climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution three faces of one deeper crisis at Kashmir University valedictory session; invokes Prithvi Sukta philosophy, urges “anticipatory governance”
Srinagar, Sep 17 (BuzzBytes): Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday called for redefining development models to make them climate-resilient and inclusive, saying climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are not separate challenges but three interconnected forms of a deeper crisis, while addressing the valedictory session of a three-day national seminar on “Environment, Climate and Sustainability: Science, Policy and Pathways” at the University of Kashmir.
The Lieutenant Governor said participants — ecologists, hydrologists, soil experts, policymakers and researchers from across the country — had arrived with different identities and areas of expertise but were leaving with a common language to understand the climate crisis and work together on solutions. “These three crises are not separate. They are not moving on parallel paths. I believe these are three forms of a deeper problem,” he said, adding that government departments often deal separately with water, forest and climate policy despite their deep interconnection.
Describing Geospatial Intelligence — GIS, remote sensing, UAVs — as the lifeline connecting science and governance, Sinha said anticipatory governance must replace reactive responses through tools such as Climate Sensitivity Maps and Spatial Decision Support Systems. “We must create systems that do not merely record what has already happened to a glacier, forest, or river valley, but can also tell us with full confidence what is going to happen next,” he said, adding that scientists must become “co-creators of early warning systems” rather than mere observers of change.
Stressing the need to bridge the gap between science and policy, the LG said, “If we can bridge the distance between what science knows and what policy delivers in line with that knowledge, then even the biggest challenges related to climate change can be addressed. Today, we do not lack data on climate change. With the help of Artificial Intelligence, we also do not lack tools and models. What we lack is the institutional system and the institutional arrangements that can take conclusions emerging from a lab or satellite record and deliver them in time to a district’s development plan.”
Invoking the traditional Prithvi Sukta philosophy under which the Earth is regarded as a mother and humans as her children, Sinha said development should establish “a relationship with the Earth in which use is accompanied by responsibility, progress by conservation, and rights by duties.” He referred to the destruction of government infrastructure and development assets due to natural disasters in J&K and across the country, saying such losses required a rethink of conventional development approaches, and urged that the dialogue begun during the conference should permeate universities, districts, policymaking and, ultimately, the people.
Prof. Nilofer Khan, Vice-Chancellor, University of Kashmir; Prof. Talat Ahmad, former Vice-Chancellor; Dr Rasik Ravindra, former Director, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research; and Prof. Shariefuddin Pirzada, Dean Academic Affairs, University of Kashmir, were among those who attended the valedictory session—(BuzzBytes)
