The Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (EFCC) addressed the full session of the high-level International Conference on the conservation of glaciers, which was held on 29–31 May in the Dushanbe of the Republic of Tajikistan.
According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the incident brought together international experts, policy makers and ministers, who serve as indicators of significant freshwater reservoirs and climate change to consult the urgent tasks required to protect the glaciers.
In his address, Singh emphasized that the return of the glaciers not only represents a warning, but is an immediate reality with far -reaching implications for water security, biodiversity and livelihood of billions of people.
Highlighting the global and regional consequences of the glacial retreat, the minister underlined that the event was accelerating with inconsistent impacts on mountainous regions such as Himalayas.
He was internally associated with the Himalayan ecosystem as a country, as a country, as a country, and underlined a series of initiatives aimed at the objective of glacier monitoring and climate adaptation.
Singh highlighted that India is taking strategic action under the National Mission to maintain the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) – a major component of the National Action Plan (NAPC) of India on climate change – as well as the establishment of a center for cryospher and climate change, designed to monitor the glaciers and glaciers.
In addition, it was said that India is taking advantage of advanced remote sensing and geographical information system (GIS) technologies, headed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), to monitor a systematic change in glacier mass, limit and dynamics.
These efforts are strengthened through coordinated research by major national institutions, including the National Center for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, and GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (NIHE).
These initiatives are important for advancing the scientific understanding of the glacier system and supporting data-operated policy making for permanent management of India’s water resources.
India has strengthened disaster preparations in the Himalayan region through improving, initial warning systems and glaciers’ risk maps coordinated by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Singh informed that regional cooperation was underlined as important to strengthen flexibility, improve data-sharing framework and promote coordinated responses to challenges, Singh informed.
Addressing the global context, the minister confirmed India’s commitment to equity and general but different responsibilities and related capabilities (CBDR-RC) in international climate action. He emphasized that while South Asia contributes minimal to global cumulative emissions, it is highly unsafe for climate change effects.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India continues to chase an ambitious and balanced climate strategy.
The country has made significant progress towards its national level contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, which has received major milestones.
It was emphasized that the need for differential and reference-specific approaches for climate adaptation and mitigation, identifying national conditions, development needs and historical responsibilities separately.
Ending his address, the minister welcomed the 2025 announcement as the conservation and decade (2025–2034) of the international year of action for cryospheric science, and called for increased global cooperation, shared scientific research and increased financial and technical support for developing countries. The India is ready to strengthen partnerships, share expertise and make a meaningful contribution to collective efforts to protect the glaciers, and to ensure the flexibility of our shared future. (AI)
