Guv inaugurates Indian Geography Congress at JU
EARTH NEWS SERVICE | J
ammu, Dec 02 |15: Governor N.N. Vohra, attended the inaugural session of 3 day “37th General Zorawar Singh Indian Geography Congress”, here at the Jammu University today. This Conference has been organized by the Department of Geography, University of Jammu, under the aegis of the “National Association of Geographers, India”, on the theme of “Tourism, Resources, Environment and Development using GIS and Remote Sensing Techniques”. More than 600 delegates are participating in the various sessions, memorial lectures and panel discussions. As planned, the discussions shall focus on identified subthemes: (i) Glaciers and Climate Change; (ii) Growing Tourism and its impact on State Economics; (iii) Urbanization and Fringe Area Development; (iv) Management of Wetlands through Geo-spatial Techniques; (v) Natural Hazard Management and Environmental Changes;(vi)Resource-Depletion and Conservation; and (vii) Agriculture, Population, Gender and Health. Stressing the importance of the theme of the Congress, the Governor observed that all interrelated aspects should need to be discussed to evolve a meaningful relationship between resource development and ecological balance. He emphasized the high importance of the required steps being taken for ensuring a balanced environment through most carefully worked out master plans of all available lands. The Governor observed that rising temperatures and non-traditional climatic changes across the globe is one of the most serious fallouts of the phenomenon of global warming and its consequences have started becoming visible in the form of receding glaciers, floods and other disasters. Quoting the example of last year’s devastating floods in the State, the Governor said that the consequences of climate change are already posing serious challenges for the people and the governments. He mentioned the efforts underway for establishing first ever Himalayan Ice Core Lab at Kashmir University with the purpose of studying information hidden in ice cores of Himalayan glaciers and observed that such an advanced laboratory will play a beneficial role in understanding and combating climatic changes in the Himalayas. The Governor appreciated the approach of the Congress to discuss all the sub-themes of the Congress by using Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing techniques through satellite imageries. On the occasion, Prof. M.H. Qureshi, former Professor of Geography JNU was presented with Life Time Achievement Award for his contributions in the field of Geography.
