Himalaya Niti Abhiyan organised 15 day Himachal Pradesh state wide Swaraj Abhiyan Yatra focusing on local self governance, forest rights and climate justices form 21 November 2015 to 5 December 2015 in first phase. We released below declaration on climate justice. Yatra was launched from Ricong pio Kinour on 21 Nov. and ended on 4th Dec. at Jadera Chamba. Second phase will be launched after break and will culminate on 24th of Dec. at Balichouki Mandi. Declaration on climate justice is...
Climate Yatra Press Statement
Himalayan Communities through this statement join the call for equity and fair share in global climate action and warn the global community of the irreparable damage that will be caused if the Himalayan ecosystems are disturbed. Climate science paints a frightening picture—one that tells us that urgent and dramatic action is needed to have any chance at stopping irreversible global warming. This urgency is not just about the planet and the environment; it is also about people, and humanity’s capacity to secure safe and dignified lives for all. The science is unambiguous: the next 10–15 years are critical if the most dangerous effects of climate change are to be avoided.
The Himalayan States and particularly Himachal Pradesh demands the formulation of an industrial policy that intensively promotes decentralised and green growth. Opportunities are abound with Horticulture, Medicinal Plants, agriculture, decentralized power generation systems, community based tourism.
Essentially these industries that need positive discrimination and if they are encouraged with the right kind of incentives the Gross Value added per invested rupee will be positive and much larger than the short run fly-by-night industrialization which would have devastated the basis for long term sustenance.
The deleterious effect of the massive change in the ecosystems, displacement and deprivation of people and the poor rate of assimilation of local employees in the industry (under 10 percent as against a stated policy of 70 percent) is a clarion call for change. While the State seems to be trying to extend the current concessions, it is clear that this model only benefits the investors and investment bankers, the owners, the managers, corrupt politicians and other elite while crushing the local people and annihilating the local environment which will have long term implications on the ecosystems and the community.
In an era when Climate Change is a widely debated issue, it calls for an urgent change in the industrial policies and the package for promotion should clearly aim at green growth. We demand:
A. Stop Destructive Development
1. Completely Abandon Further Development of Large Hydropower
2. Keep Himalayas Free from Subsidy and Incentive Driven Mining and Industrialisation
B. Increase Resilience and Adaptive Capacity
1. Enhancing observational and monitoring network
2. Seed Management
3. Crop diversification
4. Alternative Livelihoods
Guman Singh
Coordinator –HNA
Kulbhushan Upmanyu
President
Himalaya Niti Abhiyan
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