Day-Long Summit on Sustainable Development of Ladakh held in Leh; Chief Secretary graces inaugural session.

Day-Long Summit on Sustainable Development of Ladakh held in Leh; Chief Secretary graces inaugural session.
Sustainable and Inclusive growth key to Ladakh’s future, says Ashish Kundra on World Environment Day
Leh, June 05, 2026: Chief Secretary, UT Ladakh, Ashish Kundra, graced the inaugural session of a one-day summit on sustainable development at Grand Dragon, Leh, hosted by the Department of Forest, Ecology & Environment and co-hosted by the Planning Department and by the various knowledge partners on World Environment Day.
The summit comprised an inaugural session, followed by technical sessions covering the background and context of sustainable development, strategic approaches, policy frameworks, and the way forward to achieving sustainable and inclusive growth.
The opening session commenced with the lighting of a lamp by the chief guest, accompanied by other dignitaries and the welcome address by the Commissioner Secretary, Planning Department, Dr L Franklin.
The Chief Secretary of UT Ladakh addressed the inaugural session of the one-day Summit on Sustainable Development, emphasising the need for environmentally conscious and inclusive growth. He highlighted that development initiatives must be planned in harmony with the region’s unique ecology, particularly in sensitive areas like Ladakh, to ensure long-term sustainability and a balanced natural environment.
The opening session concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Jigmed Namgyal Wangchuk, Director, SLIF Leh, who expressed gratitude to the dignitaries, experts, participants, and organisers for their valuable contributions to the summit.
During the technical session, various speakers delivered presentations on the background and context of sustainable development, strategic approaches, policy frameworks, and the way forward for achieving sustainable and inclusive growth.
The session also featured a panel discussion on the Strategy and Action Plan for Sustainable Development of Ladakh, policy recommendations from experts, and an open discussion on the vision for a sustainable Ladakh, fostering meaningful dialogue among stakeholders.
The technical presentations also covered a wide range of themes, including the conservation of wetlands and natural heritage, climate vulnerabilities and natural resource management in Ladakh, emerging models and regulatory practices in natural resource conservation, sustainable pathways towards water security in the cold desert region, and the promotion of a zero-waste and circular economy in Ladakh delivered by experts and representatives from organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust, ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, World Wide Fund for Nature, and the International Big Cat Alliance, which presented the PEACE Project Stakeholder Consultation on Snow Leopard and Tiger Conservation in Ladakh.
The session concluded with closing remarks by Mandeep Mittal, Wildlife Warden, who highlighted the importance of continued collaboration among government agencies, experts, and local communities to ensure sustainable development and environmental conservation in Ladakh.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Purnima Joshi, Director, Snow Leopard Institute of India Foundation (SLIF), who expressed gratitude to all participants, speakers, partner organisations, and stakeholders for their active engagement and contributions towards making the conference a success.