Understanding Uttarakhand Tragedy

Most of us are still trying to come to terms with the tragedy that left a trail of death and destruction in Uttarakhand last Sunday, 7th February 2021. Over the last some years with increasing evidence of the impact of climate change on Himalayan glaciers, there has been a lurking fear that something of this might happen any time. And it really happened, and this may not be also the end. Our empathies are definitely with those who have lost their near and dear ones and also lost their homes and belongings. The issue is also what lessons we learn from such tragedies and how we take corrective steps.

In order to understand what has happened in Uttarakhand and also take a scientifically informed and socially and ecologically just view about the long term environment-development intersections in the Himalayan regions in the background of climate change, Water Conflicts Forum, India River Forum, People’s Science Institute, South Asia Network on Dams Rivers and People, Matu Jan Sangathan, Himdhara, Ganga Ahvan, and Indian Youth Water Network are together organizing a zoom meeting on 13th February 2021

We have got an eminent panel consisting of scientists, glaciologists, and activists for the meeting and they include: Uttam Lal (Sikkim University), Navin Juyal (Glaciologist, PRL), Ravi Chopra (PSI), Manshi Asher (Himdhara), Vimal Bhai (Matu Jan Sangathan), Mallika Bhanot  (Ganga Ahvaan) and Himanshu Thakkar (SANDRP)