Guwahati: The People for Himalaya campaign, an umbrella grouping of 60 civil society organisations, progressive groups and activists from the Indian Himalayan region, has called for the Himalayas to be declared a ‘no-go zone’ for high-risk mega infrastructure projects following the August 26 ice-rock avalanche that triggered devastating floods in Nepal which has claimed thousands of lives, with hundreds still unaccounted for.
In a statement released over the weekend, the coalition said the frequency and intensity of disasters across the Himalayas were increasing in a region already marked by high tectonic and geological sensitivity.
It demanded that high-altitude and trans-Himalayan areas be declared no-go zones for high-risk mega infrastructure. It also called for hydropower dams and other large-scale infrastructure to be prohibited in geologically sensitive and cryospheric areas, citing cumulative, cascading and climate-related risks.
The People for Himalaya campaign was launched in March 2024 to address escalating climate disasters and advocate for ecological justice across the Indian Himalayan region.
As an immediate measure, the coalition called on Himalayan countries and states to strengthen regional cooperation and solidarity through transparent mechanisms for transboundary resource and data sharing, as well as mutual assistance during disasters. It also called for greater trust and resolution of long-standing transboundary disputes.
The group sought strict regulation of tourism and urbanisation, calling for tourism, construction and urban growth to be brought within the ecological and climatic limits of mountain landscapes through enforceable, participatory land-use planning and locally determined thresholds.
It also called for community-centred recovery and climate governance to ensure equitable distribution of relief, compensation, relocation and rehabilitation, along with long-term livelihood restoration and mental health and psychosocial support for affected communities and families.
The coalition said affected people must have a meaningful role in decisions concerning reconstruction, livelihoods, land and their future well-being.
On climate information and knowledge, the group called for greater transparency and accountability, including the development of early warning systems that combine scientific monitoring with lived experience and local knowledge.
It said real-time monitoring should be combined with community knowledge, memories of previous disasters and systematic localised learning rather than relying solely on technology. The coalition also criticised what it described as a disproportionate allocation of resources towards top-down and expert-centric knowledge production.
The statement also called for stronger protection of workers, including migrant workers, employed in tunnels, hydropower projects, construction sites and other high-risk infrastructure. It sought mandatory risk assessments, emergency preparedness and evacuation protocols, communication systems and safe working conditions.
The coalition further backed Nepal’s position that the August 26 catastrophe should be treated as a matter of climate liability rather than charity. It called for a legally recognised framework for direct compensation as part of climate loss and damage at both global and country levels.
The People for Himalaya urged people across the region to work collectively on the future of the Himalayas, saying climate justice required transformative action by communities in the region.