Srinagar, June 26 (KNS): A group of environmental experts, academics and civil society members has adopted the Srinagar Declaration 2026, proposing a 10-year roadmap to place water security, ecological restoration and climate resilience at the centre of development planning in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

The declaration, adopted at a seminar on the protection of the natural environment organised by the Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC) in Srinagar, designates 2026-2035 as the "Decade of Water Security and Ecological Restoration" and urges policymakers to align development with the ecological limits of the Himalayan region.

 

The document warns that glaciers are retreating, springs are drying up, wetlands are shrinking, rivers and forests are under stress and biodiversity is declining due to climate change and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources.

 

It says these trends threaten long-term water security, increase disaster risks and could undermine sustainable development unless corrective measures are taken.

 

The declaration identifies five priority areas — water security, ecological resilience, climate action, people's participation and sustainable development — and states that future development should strengthen natural ecosystems rather than degrade them.

It advocates three guiding principles: "Ecology Before Engineering", "Water Before Infrastructure" and "Science Before Politics", while calling for greater protection of glaciers, rivers, wetlands, springs and watersheds through science-based planning.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

 

Among its recommendations is a basin-level approach to river management, restoration of forests and wetlands, climate-resilient urban planning, stronger environmental institutions and wider community participation in conservation efforts.

 

The declaration also proposes a 10-point action agenda for 2026-27, including the creation of a Chief Minister's Commission on Water Security and Ecological Resilience, a comprehensive water security strategy, district-level climate risk action plans, glacier and watershed monitoring programmes, restoration of wetlands and floodplains, and a climate risk observatory with real-time monitoring.

 

Other proposals include a dedicated climate budget, city-level water and heat action plans, annual environmental assessment reports and a yearly environmental summit.

 

The framework sets a target of achieving "Net Ecological Gain" by 2035, with the restoration of rivers, wetlands, forests, springs and mountain ecosystems while ensuring future development projects improve ecological resilience.

 

The declaration was adopted unanimously, with participants urging the government, local institutions, researchers, the private sector and citizens to work collectively towards protecting and restoring Jammu and Kashmir's natural environment.(