Time For Nature-Based Solutions

The high-level policy dialogue on Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for Jammu and Kashmir hosted by Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) has underscored a critical truth: the region’s future depends on how well we integrate natural systems into our development planning. As Prof Shakil A Romshoo, Vice Chancellor of the university and a renowned geologist, rightly emphasised, nature-based solutions must be placed at the centre of inclusive and climate-resilient development. The timing could not be more urgent. Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing an alarming increase in cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides. Between January and August this year alone, the region experienced a natural disaster almost every day. The cost of inaction is mounting, not just in terms of lives lost and infrastructure damaged, but in the growing fiscal burden on the government and the erosion of livelihoods. The conference brought together government officials, academics, business leaders, and civil society to address interconnected challenges: climate risk, fiscal pressure, and youth unemployment. Investments in natural systems can simultaneously reduce disaster risks, strengthen economic sectors, and create new employment opportunities. Wetlands, forests, and floodplains are infrastructure that protects communities and sustains livelihoods. However, significant barriers remain. Participants highlighted data limitations, fragmented sectoral planning, and the persistent disconnect between policy formulation and implementation. The need for stronger natural-capital assessment, place-specific data, and integrated planning cannot be overstated. The participation of financial institutions such as ICICI Bank signals growing recognition that investing in nature is not just an environmental imperative but an economic one. The proposed collaborative platform linking science, government, communities, and the private sector offers a promising way forward. This dialogue has laid the groundwork. Now the challenge is to translate discussions into action—ensuring that NBS becomes a central pillar of Jammu and Kashmir’s development strategy, not an afterthought. The Himalayas demand nothing less.