The 12th Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS-XII) was held at Doon University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, on September 26–27, 2025. Organized by the Integrated Mountain Initiative, it focused on climate change, sustainable livelihoods, disaster management, and policies for the Indian Himalayan Region.
12th Sustainable Mountain Development Summit 2025 Held in Dehradun, Uttarakhand
The Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS) is a recurring, civil society-led platform focused on sustainable development in mountain regions, especially the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). It is organized by the Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI), which brings together policy-makers, scientists, environmentalists, community representatives, legislators, youth, and other stakeholders to discuss challenges and opportunities in mountainous ecosystems.
The 12ᵗʰ summit (SMDS-XII) is the latest edition and addresses pressing issues such as climate change, disaster risk, livelihood, water security, local communities, traditional knowledge, and governance in fragile mountain landscapes.
Where was SMDS-XII held? Venue, Dates, Organisers
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Venue: Doon University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. (Garhwal Post)
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Dates: 26-27 September 2025. (Pioneer Edge)
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Organiser: Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI) in collaboration with Doon University. (Garhwal Post)
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Inauguration: The summit was inaugurated by Uttarakhand Forest and Technical Education Minister Subodh Uniyal. (Garhwal Post)
Why Dehradun and Doon University
Dehradun is located in Uttarakhand, one of the states in the Indian Himalayan Region. It is centrally placed for mountain-state stakeholders, has good connectivity, and has educational institutions and research infrastructure relevant to Himalayan and environmental studies.
Doon University was chosen as the host site for its capability to host such multi-stakeholder conferences, its proximity to the Himalayan region, and likely its academic strengths. Also, Uttarakhand is among the states most affected by climate change, frequent natural disasters (floods, landslides, etc.), and ecological fragility. So hosting the summit there underscores both urgency and relevance. (Pioneer Edge)
Key Themes and Agenda
Several major themes were addressed at SMDS-XII. Some of the important ones:
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Nature-aligned, people-centric development: Emphasis was placed on models of development that centre local communities, integrate traditional knowledge, and align with ecological constraints. (The Times of India)
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Water, forests, land, and disaster risk: Given recent disasters in the Himalayan region (monsoon damage, landslides, etc.), there was strong focus on water security, watershed management, land use, forest health, and disaster preparedness and resilience. (himbumail.com)
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Science + Traditional wisdom + Innovation: Combining modern science, technological tools (e.g. AI, etc.), with age-old traditional practices, agroecology, organic farming, livelihoods, and community resilience. (The Times of India)
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Policy Dialogue & Legislative Involvement: The summit included a “Mountain Legislators’ Meet” (MLM), engaging legislators from several Himalayan states, to push for region-specific policies and institutional frameworks. (Saralnama)
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Livelihoods, migration & local solutions: Issues like migration of youth from mountain areas (because of lack of opportunities), ecological damage affecting livelihoods (e.g. loss of agriculture, forest fire risk, tourism impacts), promotion of organic farming, eco-homestays, and local value chains. (Garhwal Post)
Who Participated
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Policymakers and government ministers: Forest & Technical Education Minister Subodh Uniyal inaugurated. (Garhwal Post)
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Legislators from Himalayan states: Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim etc. (Pioneer Edge)
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Scientists, academics, researchers working on climate, ecology, disaster management. (The Times of India)
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Farmers and local community representatives from mountain states. (Garhwal Post)
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Youth, NGOs, social workers. (The Times of India)
Outcomes & Key Messages
While the summit covered many topics, some of the concrete outcomes, declarations, or messages included:
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A reaffirmation of the need for policies specifically designed for mountain contexts, due to the fragile ecology and unique vulnerabilities. (Saralnama)
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The need for unified disaster planning for the Himalayan states (pre-monsoon readiness, landslide mitigation, land subsidence, etc.). (The Times of India)
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Promotion of local ecological practices: organic farming, community forestry, eco homestays etc. (Garhwal Post)
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Involvement of traditional knowledge and combining it with science, technology (e.g. use of AI in disaster management) to enhance resilience. (The Times of India)
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A push for strengthened institutional mechanisms: more visible governance, dedicated policy bodies, financial allocations, greater community participation. (Saralnama)
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Solidarity among Himalayan states under increased effects of climate change and natural disasters. (The Week)
Significance of SMDS-XII
Why SMDS-XII matters:
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Timing: In 2025, many parts of the Himalayas (esp. Uttarakhand) had experienced heavy monsoon, floods, landslides, etc. The summit happens at a time when there is urgent need for adaptive policies. (himbumail.com)
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Multi-stakeholder engagement: Together participation of legislators, community, scientists ensures policies are more grounded, and not just top-down.
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Policy push: The summit can feed into state and national level policy and planning (disaster management, ecological restoration, sustainable livelihoods).
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Visibility & awareness: Brings attention to mountain issues, often underrepresented in mainstream environmental or development discourse.
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Knowledge exchange: Sharing of best practices among different Himalayan states; what works in one part can inspire elsewhere.
Challenges and Areas for Further Action
Though many good discussions took place, some of the challenges identified (explicitly or implicitly) are:
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Translating summit recommendations into on-ground implementation. Policies often get delayed or poorly enforced.
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Balancing tourism vs ecological protection: Over tourism, waste, plastic pollution from tourists remains a concern. (Garhwal Post)
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Funding and resources: Mountain states often have limited budgets; getting sufficient financial allocations and institutional support is difficult.
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Infrastructure vs fragility: Building roads, buildings in hilly terrain can increase risk if not done with scientific and traditional wisdom.
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Climate change impacts are accelerating (glacial melt, changes in rainfall patterns); adaptation needs to be faster.
The “Dehradun Declaration” (If applicable)
One of the outcomes of SMDS-XII is the Dehradun Declaration (name derived from the venue) which encapsulates key consensus points and commitments from the summit:
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Governments, legislators, civil society commit to stronger disaster risk management in the Himalayan region. (The Week)
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Emphasizes setting up dedicated centres or cells for environmental planning and green infrastructure for the Indian Himalayan Region. (The Week)
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Calls for region-sensitive development planning, integrating traditional knowledge and local community voices.
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Recommends rigorous scientific monitoring of glaciers, river basins, land subsidence, environmental hazards.
Conclusion
The 12ᵗʰ Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS-XII) was held at Doon University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand on 26-27 September 2025, organised by the Integrated Mountain Initiative. It brought together a wide spectrum of stakeholders to deliberate on how to make development in the Himalayan region more sustainable, resilient, and people-oriented. Given the increasing frequency of climate-induced disasters and environmental stresses, the summit serves as a timely platform to amass shared knowledge, shape policies, and push for concerted action.
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