SHILLONG: The Government of Meghalaya will host an international conference titled “Scaling Nature-Based Solutions for Himalayan Resilience” on January 30 and 31, bringing global and regional attention to the urgent need for sustainable and integrated responses to climate challenges in the Himalayan region. The two-day conference will be held in Shillong and is expected to draw a diverse group of participants, including policymakers, academics, development practitioners, private sector representatives, youth leaders and community stakeholders from across the Indian Himalayan Region and the wider Hindu Kush Himalaya.
The conference is being jointly organised by the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). Organisers said the event aims to create a common platform for dialogue and collaboration on scaling up Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) as a core strategy to enhance climate resilience, protect biodiversity and secure sustainable livelihoods in fragile mountain ecosystems.
Our correspondent reports that the Indian Himalayan Region is among the most climate-vulnerable landscapes in the world. Increasingly erratic rainfall patterns, frequent extreme weather events, ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss, floods and landslides have placed mounting pressure on water security, food systems and human settlements. These challenges, experts say, demand landscape-level responses that can simultaneously strengthen ecological integrity and improve human well-being.
Nature-Based Solutions have gained global recognition as an approach that works with natural systems rather than against them. Rooted in ecological design principles, NbS seeks to deliver multiple benefits at once, including climate adaptation and mitigation, ecosystem restoration and livelihood security. Across the Himalayan belt, several NbS practices are already being implemented, such as springshed management, watershed and landscape restoration, agroforestry models and community-based conservation initiatives.
However, organisers noted that many of these interventions remain fragmented or confined to individual projects. Weak linkages with policy frameworks, financing mechanisms and cross-sectoral planning often limit their long-term impact and scalability. The upcoming conference aims to address these gaps by focusing on the design principles of NbS and the enabling conditions required to take them to scale, including institutional arrangements, governance systems, financing models, technology integration and partnerships.
Meghalaya has been identified as a strong and relevant host for the conference due to its evolving institutional approach to landscape and natural resource management. Through the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority, the state has implemented several flagship initiatives that demonstrate how NbS can be operationalised at scale. Programmes such as the MegARISE project showcase coordinated interventions that combine afforestation, soil and water conservation, springshed revival, agroforestry systems, payment for ecosystem services, sustainable livelihood promotion, participatory finance and GIS-based natural resource management.
Our correspondent adds that at the regional level, ICIMOD brings extensive experience in advancing Nature-Based Solutions across the Hindu Kush Himalaya. Through science-based, inclusive and partnership-driven approaches, ICIMOD has supported regional cooperation and knowledge exchange on NbS. Its initiatives, including the Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme (HI-REAP), have contributed to developing investment models and policy frameworks aimed at scaling up NbS across mountain regions.
Over the course of two days, the conference will feature high-level policy dialogues, thematic technical sessions, community perspectives, youth engagements and focused discussions on financing and technology for Nature-Based Solutions. Organisers said the programme has been designed to ensure that voices from grassroots communities are heard alongside those of policymakers and experts, reflecting the people-centred nature of NbS approaches.
The conference is structured around a three-tier outcome framework. The first outcome focuses on developing actionable pathways for implementing Nature-Based Solutions in Meghalaya. The second aims to generate policy- and finance-oriented recommendations for scaling NbS across the Indian Himalayan Region. The third seeks to strengthen regional collaboration and cooperation on mountain-specific NbS strategies across the wider Himalayan landscape.
Officials associated with the conference said the event is intended to move beyond discussion and towards action. By bringing together stakeholders from policy, practice, finance and communities, the conference seeks to build a shared, action-oriented agenda that can guide long-term investments and policy decisions.
As climate risks intensify across the Himalayas, organisers said the need for integrated and scalable solutions has never been greater. The Shillong conference is expected to play a key role in shaping future strategies that harness the power of nature to build resilience, protect ecosystems and secure sustainable futures for mountain communities across the region.
