Kalimpong: The Eastern Himalayas need an integrated policy approach covering development, climate resilience, security and the aspirations of local communities, participants at the Eastern Himalayan Dialogue 2026 said in Kalimpong, West Bengal.
The Dialogue was jointly convened by the Chintan Research Foundation (CRF) and the Eastern Himalayan Centre for Public Policy (EHCPP) under the theme “The Eastern Himalayas: Towards a Strategic, Resilient, and Inclusive Future.”
The two-day event brought together policymakers, scholars, practitioners, institutional leaders and regional stakeholders to discuss the changes affecting the region.
Participants called for policy frameworks that address connectivity, security, climate change and development together. Discussions focused on cross-border trade, infrastructure expansion, environmental vulnerability, changing demographics and national security concerns.
In his inaugural address, CRF President Shishir Priyadarshi called for sustained policy attention to the Eastern Himalayas and stronger links between local realities and national priorities.
“Holding a dialogue about the Eastern Himalayas in the Eastern Himalayas changes who can take part and what we are likely to hear. It gives those who work and live here a more direct place in a discussion that too often takes shape at a distance,” Priyadarshi said.
Delivering the keynote address, “The Eastern Himalayas and India’s Future,” Mahendra P. Lama, Emeritus Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of Sikkim and Senior Adviser at ICIMOD, spoke about the region’s exposure to climate impacts and the need to reconsider existing policy approaches.
“The Eastern Himalayas are confronting a ‘Threatening Triangular Trap’: communities that contribute little to Climate Change are bearing its consequences, while local knowledge remains under-recognised,” Lama said.
Lama called for connectivity to be treated as an instrument of integration, borders as opportunities and community knowledge as a resource for resilience.
Climate resilience was another major focus of the Dialogue. Discussions covered glacier retreat, changing river systems, extreme weather and increasing pressure on mountain ecosystems, as well as their implications for water security, disaster preparedness, biodiversity, infrastructure and livelihoods.
In a special address on “Transformative Approaches for Developing Resilient Himalaya,” Eklabya Sharma, Strategic Advisor and Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), called for a systemic approach to the Himalayas.
“The Himalayas need to be recognised not merely as areas for conservation or beneficiaries of development, but as natural infrastructure that sustains lives, economies and ecosystems far beyond the mountains. We need to move beyond fragmented projects towards systemic approaches that bring science, policy and practice together, with communities as co-owners of the solutions,” Sharma said.
The Dialogue also examined the impact of migration, urbanisation and changing aspirations among younger generations on local economies and social structures.
Participants identified sustainable livelihoods, human capital, service delivery and stronger institutions as priorities for regional development.
They called for stronger links between infrastructure and ecology, national priorities and local aspirations, and economic transformation and institutional capacity.
The Dialogue also discussed the contribution of the Eastern Himalayas to India’s economic growth, environmental security, regional connectivity, and engagement with neighbouring countries, supporting its role as a platform for policy, research, and institutional cooperation.