BATHINDA: The India Forum for Nature-based Solutions ( NbS ) held its inaugural annual summit on Tuesday. Launched in 2022, this forum with partners - Council on Energy, Environment and Water, GIZ India, India Climate Collaborative, NIUA Climate Centre for Cities, The Nature Conservancy, Wetlands International South Asia, WWF India, and WRI India is a coalition of research, practice and finance organizations working to shape climate resilient cities and communities in India. Ms Debashree Mukherjee, secretary, ministry of Jal Shakti, pointed out the need to broaden the scope for managing climate risks.
She said, “Flood management is not just about stormwater management but also about managing water bodies and groundwater recharge potential, as well as steering knowledge among multiple stakeholders.” One of the key highlights of the Summit was recognizing individuals and organizations involved in furthering NbS interventions across India. Rahul Kapoor, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, said, "The challenges for NbS implementation are similar to the challenges experienced across sectors.
There's a need to look at the existing regulatory and institutional frameworks that can bring together fragmented efforts, document them, and convey them to wider audiences." Krishna Vatsa, member, National Disaster Management Authority, said, "NbS still needs to be defined better, with more components on bio-engineering to be explored. This would e.