By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 19 Jun: A National Conference on “Living With Nature: Soil, Water, and Society in Ecosystem Conservation” (LNSWSEC-2024) is being organized by the Indian Association of Soil & Water Conservationists (IASWC), Dehradun, in collaboration with ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil & Water Conservation (ICAR-IISWC), Dehradun. The conference will be held at the Himalayan Cultural Centre, here, on 20-22 June.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will inaugurate the conference as Chief Guest on 20 June, at 10:30 a.m. The inaugural function will also feature Speaker Rita Khanduri Bhushan, Dr Durgesh Pant, Director General of UCOST, Dr Suman Kumar, General Manager of NABARD, Dehradun, and Neena Grewal, Project Director of the Watershed Management Directorate, Dehradun, as Guests of Honour.
Dr M Madhu, Director of ICAR-IISWC and Chairman of the Organising Committee, along with Er SS Shrimali and Dr Rajesh Kaushal, Organizing Secretaries of the conference, emphasise that the conference will bring together scientists, stakeholders, and farmers from various scientific professions and platforms to discuss critical issues of resource conservation and food production systems in the country, all while aiming for harmony with nature.
The conference is sponsored by over 12 regional, national, and international agencies, including ICAR, the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Department of Land Resources, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), New Delhi, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), Chennai, the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPVFRA), New Delhi, UCOST, USERC, the Watershed Management Directorate, Dehradun, the International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR), besides IASWC and ICAR-IISWC, Dehradun.
Approximately 350 scientists and scholars from ICAR institutes, State Agricultural Universities, national agencies like NBA, and international agencies like INBAR, as well as progressive farmers, will deliberate on diverse aspects of natural resource conservation, soil-water conservation, and livelihood options. The conference will be organized under four main themes:
- Trends in Resource Assessment and Inventory
- Sustainable Management of Soil and Water
- Ecosystem Services and Climate Resilience
- Society, Policy, and Governance
Additionally, there will be special sessions on:
- Agroecological Transition for Sustainable Land, Water, and Society, sponsored by IWMI, New Delhi.
- Bamboo for Resource Conservation, Land Restoration, and Livelihood Security, sponsored by INBAR, New Delhi.
- Biodiversity Conservation towards 2050, sponsored by NBA, Chennai.
The conference is set to commence tomorrow, 20 June, and will continue until 22 June through various sessions.
