EHNF 2025 Opens at Royal Global University, Puts Eastern Himalaya at Heart of Global Climate Action

EduNe Bureau

The 13th Eastern Himalayan Naturenomics™ Forum (EHNF) 2025 commenced at The Assam Royal Global University (RGU) on Tuesday, bringing together diplomats, global sustainability leaders, corporate executives, researchers, investors and a large number of students, with a unified call to position the Eastern Himalaya at the centre of global climate and development discourse.

Envisioned by Shri Ranjit Barthakur, the founder of the concepts of the Third Pole and Eastern Himalayan Naturenomics, the Forum is being jointly organised by Balipara Foundation along with Royal Global University, IIT Guwahati, Gauhati University and Cotton University. This year’s edition focuses on harmonising economic growth with ecological regeneration in one of the world’s most fragile and climate-sensitive mountain ecosystems.

Delivering the leadership address, Norway’s Ambassador to India, Her Excellency May-Elin Stener, emphasised the urgency of prioritising mountain systems in climate diplomacy, describing the Himalaya as vital “water towers for half of humanity.” She noted that weakening mountain ecosystems would have far-reaching consequences for global water security and highlighted the importance of strengthening India–Nordic collaboration in clean energy, climate adaptation and sustainable development.

RGU Chancellor Dr A. K. Pansari, in his address, underlined the role of universities as catalysts of climate leadership. He said institutions of higher learning must go beyond academics and actively empower society by nurturing environmentally conscious and socially responsible leaders.

Calling for a fundamental shift in corporate thinking, Shri D. B. Sundara Ramam, Vice President – Corporate Services, Tata Steel India, said the long-standing divide between ecology and economy must end, stressing that sustainable business models are no longer optional but essential.

Assam Chief Secretary Shri Ravi Kota highlighted the State government’s commitment to creating a development model that integrates infrastructure growth, industrial expansion and environmental protection. He said Assam has both the responsibility and opportunity to demonstrate climate-resilient development in the Eastern Himalayan region, particularly through policy reforms that strengthen rural livelihoods.

Offering a ground-level conservation perspective, Dr Sonali Ghosh, Director of Kaziranga National Park, asserted that conservation should be recognised as an economic asset rather than a hindrance, noting its role in sustaining biodiversity, tourism and local communities.

A key highlight of the inaugural session was the launch of the Guardians of Eastern Himalaya, a youth volunteer network jointly initiated by Royal Global University, Balipara Foundation and the Assam Investment Advisory Society. The initiative aims to mobilise students for river conservation, forest restoration, biodiversity documentation and community-based green entrepreneurship, placing young people at the forefront of climate action in the region.

Throughout the day, multiple sessions examined nature-based solutions, climate-linked entrepreneurship and the role of corporate leadership in ecological regeneration. Speakers from leading organisations such as Google, Coca-Cola, Tata Consumer Products, Tata Power, Tata Electronics, Varun Beverages, Rajasthan Royals and Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), along with civil society groups from across the Northeast, shared insights and best practices.

The Forum also announced that selected research papers presented at EHNF 2025 will be published in special editions of the Royal Journal of Social Science and Research (RJSSR), strengthening indigenous and evidence-based scholarship on the ecological and economic dimensions of the Eastern Himalaya.

EHNF 2025 will continue on Wednesday with sessions focusing on the role of cultural knowledge in shaping sustainable businesses and strategies to scale local innovations for global impact, with participation from Bhutan, Nepal and leading regional and international conservation organisations.