Charting the Future of the Third Pole & the Eastern Himalaya at the 12th Eastern Himalayan Naturenomics™ Forum

Balipara Foundation inaugurated the 12th edition of the annual Eastern Himalayan NaturenomicsTM Forum to be hosted on 26th & 27th November in Guwahati, at a panel held in the Vivanta today. Bringing together 80 leaders from 15 countries, the Forum this year will focus on The Future of the Third Pole & the Eastern Himalaya exploring the need for urgent action on climate and action in the Third Pole for the future of climate systems and the lives of billions across Asia through its glaciers. The panel was hosted alongside a celebration of 50 years of The Energy and Resources Institute, an organisation that has played a vital role in furthering sustainable development in India and the broader Third Pole region.
With representatives from leading global and national corporates, experts from academia, the conservation and development sectors and policymakers, the Forum will foster conversations on critical issues for the Eastern Himalaya, with insights from leading voices such as Lord Nicholas Stern, Chair of the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics, Kaizad Bharucha, Deputy Managing Director – HDFC, Chanakya Chaudhury, VP – Corporate Services at Tata Steel, HRH Queen Diambi Kabatusuila, founder of the Elikia Hope Foundation, Praveer Sinha, MD & CEO – Tata Power, Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General – The Energy & Resources Institute and Spencer Low, Regional Sustainability Head – Google Asia Pacific.
HRH Queen Diambi Kabatusuila, said, “I encourage us to go back to our indigenous system that has produced us, that will change the nature of our relationship with nature – that we being back the sacred respect for all life. Our care for the environment is cultural – we had sacred ecologies for thousands of years and now we are once again talking about ecology. We need to move beyond the western paradigm and enlarge our perspective to be inclusive of indigenous knowledge and wisdom. We need to reconceptualize development – it is not a lack of abundance we have on the planet, but a question of distribution, which is what indigenous wisdom can show.” She further added, “I am an advocate who says back to your roots and connect with your culture and only then we can design better models towards conservation.”
Ranjit Barthakur, Founder, Balipara foundation, said “We have to bring out the voices from our communities to not only India but to the rest of the world as well. This year, we will be the first in Assam to talk about the Third Pole – and the leaders here with us today and over the next few days will advocate for the Third Pole to the global stage, to drive global support and transformation for the region and beyond.”

The Forum seeks to chart a pathway to drive valuation of ecosystems in the Third Pole through ESG regulations and business investments in nature, catalyse the renewables transition, manage watersheds and water security, build sustainable livelihoods through land management practices, eliminate plastic waste in rural areas and protect Asian Elephants at a landscape level.
The Forum will also host sessions at Royal Global University, Gauhati University and Cotton University to drive awareness of the Third Pole and the role of youth for sustainability in the region.
The 12th Eastern Himalayan Naturenomics™ Forum concludes with the Balipara Foundation Awards on 27th November, celebrating the success stories of 14 grassroots leaders in protecting and restoring the biocultural heritage of the Eastern Himalaya.