Shillong, Jan 30: The state government has signed an MoU with International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) to ensure sustainable livelihoods in mountain landscapes.
In this regard, Meghalaya hosted a conference titled “Scaling Naturebased Solutions (NbS) for Himalayan Resilience” here on Friday.
The conference was jointly organised by the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA) and the
ICIMOD, bringing together policymakers, development practitioners, researchers, community leaders, private sector representatives, youth groups, and international development partners
from across India and the Hindu Kush Himalaya region.
The conference aimed to strengthen regional dialogue on integrating nature-based solutions into development planning to enhance climate resilience, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable livelihoods in fragile mountain landscapes.
Meghalaya provided a strong setting for this dialogue, having established an integrated institutional framework for natural resource and landscape management through MBDA.
Delivering the opening remarks, C.V.D. Diengdoh, Commissioner &
Secretary, Government of Meghalaya, welcomed all participants and highlighted the importance of the conference as a platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and innovation in advancing nature-based solutions.
In his keynote address, Shakil P. Ahammed, Chief Secretary, congratulated MBDA and ICIMOD for organising the conference in Meghalaya, a state where nature and community stewardship are deeply interlinked.
Citing the iconic living root bridges, he emphasised the collective responsibility to protect forests, noting that nearly 76% of Meghalaya’s geographical area is under
forest cover, with about 90% managed by local communities. He also highlighted key state initiatives under MBDA, including PES, CLLMP, IVCS, and MLAMP.
The conference featured high-level policy dialogues and roundtable discussions with Pema Gyamtsho, Director General, ICIMOD, officials from ICIMOD and MBDA,
Angshuman Dey, Ministry of DoNER, Supongnukshi Ao, IFS, and
representatives from various organisations, agencies and other partner institutions, fostering rich exchanges on policy, finance, and institutional frameworks for scaling natire-based solutions.
Parallel technical sessions underscored Meghalaya’s commitment to investing nearly 15% of the state budget in Natural Resource Management, involving ten departments and agencies, and strengthening institutional capacity through community-led models such as Village Community Facilitators (VCF) and village-level natural resource committees for governance.
The conference reaffirmed Meghalaya’s leadership in community-driven, climateresilient development and its commitment to scaling nature-based solutions for the Himalayan region
