Chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday called for a practical and balanced approach to sustainable mountain development, stressing that environmental protection, economic growth and people’s livelihoods must go hand-in-hand.
Speaking after inaugurating the 13th Sustainable Mountain Development Summit, the chief minister said climate change, erratic snowfall, water scarcity, extreme rainfall and landslides were increasingly affecting Jammu and Kashmir, making sustainable development essential for its long-term survival. “We do not take care of our mountains and our environment as much as we should. We cannot stop global warming on our own, nor can we reverse it. The whole world will have to come together to address this challenge. But we can certainly take better care of our own environment,” the chief minister said.
The summit is being jointly organised by Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Kashmir and the Integrated Mountain Initiative, in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Science, Technology and Innovation Council (JKSTIC). It is being held under the J&K Agriculture Science Congress-2026 and is themed around sustainable Himalayan landscapes for inclusive Viksit Bharat and the formulation of a Sustainable Mountain Development Policy for Jammu and Kashmir.
Referring to changing weather patterns, Omar said snowfall had become increasingly erratic and delayed winter precipitation is contributing to water shortages during the spring months. “The prolonged dry spells were often followed by intense rainfall, cloudbursts and flooding, creating fresh challenges for communities and infrastructure,” he said.
Describing these developments as the new reality, the chief minister said the challenge was to determine how Jammu and Kashmir could continue to develop while adapting to growing environmental risks. “We have to ask ourselves: how do we sustain our livelihoods and how do we develop? Development is essential, but it must be sustainable,” he said.
The chief minister cautioned against viewing tourism as the sole cause of environmental degradation, while acknowledging the pressure that growing tourist numbers placed on popular destinations. He stressed that environmental responsibility had to be shared by the government, residents, businesses and visitors alike. “Tourism does put pressure on our environment, but to assume that the situation is bad only because of tourism or tourists would also be wrong. We will have to take some responsibility,” he said, urging people to avoid littering, reduce the use of single-use plastic and conserve water and energy.
{{/usCountry}}The chief minister cautioned against viewing tourism as the sole cause of environmental degradation, while acknowledging the pressure that growing tourist numbers placed on popular destinations. He stressed that environmental responsibility had to be shared by the government, residents, businesses and visitors alike. “Tourism does put pressure on our environment, but to assume that the situation is bad only because of tourism or tourists would also be wrong. We will have to take some responsibility,” he said, urging people to avoid littering, reduce the use of single-use plastic and conserve water and energy.
{{/usCountry}}He called for a change in everyday practices, observing that people often discarded plastic wrappers and bottles in public places while expecting the government to clean up after them. While acknowledging the government’s primary responsibility for environmental management, he underlined that individual actions were equally important in protecting the natural surroundings.
On tourism development, the Chief Minister said the answer was not to abruptly restrict visitors to established destinations such as Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg, where livelihoods depended substantially on tourism. Instead, he advocated developing new destinations through a planned and sustainable approach, with adequate arrangements for sewage treatment, wastewater management and solid waste disposal in place from the outset.
“Some of our destinations do not have enough carrying capacity. We have to widen tourism, not to stop people from going to Gulmarg, Pahalgam or Sonamarg, but to develop new and sustainable destinations where the systems for waste disposal and sewage disposal are already ready,” he said.
Highlighting the need for environmentally sound infrastructure, Omar said unscientific hill cutting during road construction had contributed to landslides and repeated damage to roads, particularly in far-flung areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
The chief minister said he had asked the forest and environment department and the public works department to work together to ensure that development projects incorporated sustainable engineering practices and reduced the risk of landslides.
“When you cut a mountain, cut it in a way in which the possibility of landslides may not be eradicated, but at least be reduced,” he said, emphasising that long-term sustainability must take precedence over short-term savings.
On urban development and housing, the chief minister called for greater emphasis on energy-efficient and earthquake-resilient buildings, along with more efficient land use. With land becoming increasingly scarce in the Valley, he said, planners needed to explore vertical development wherever appropriate rather than continued horizontal expansion, while ensuring compliance with seismic safety requirements.
He said J&K aspired to become the first Himalayan territory to have its own mountain policy and that his government was keen to take the initiative forward. However, he stressed that the policy must emerge from wider consultation and reflect the realities of the region rather than being based on idealistic assumptions. “Those recommendations need to be grounded in reality. We need to balance the need for sustainability with the need for existence and livelihoods,” he said.