A three-day environment workshop was held last week for environment conservation enthusiasts in Kankumbi near Khanapur of Belagavi district.
Organiser Nyla Coelho said the idea was to draw the attention of the State’s polity, citizens and environmentalists to environmental concerns of this region of the Western Ghats and of North Karnataka.
Scientist and writer Sagar Dhara spoke on the converging crisis of the 21st century and the consequences that can unfold in energy, economy and environment. This will be accompanied by depletion of cheap fossil fuels, he said.
K.P. Suresh and Soil Vasu spoke about soil protection and the government policies that can affect sustainable farming practices.
Anjaneya Reddy of Chikballapura and Nirmala Gowda of Paani Earth Foundation spoke on the need to save water resources. They gave examples of some such successful attempts, including interventions that have saved some rivers from industrial pollution in Bengaluru.
Conservationist Norma Alvares spoke on various environmental laws. She said that the Right to Information Act has been helpful in addressing environmental concerns. She stressed the need for active participation of local citizens and panchayat level bodies in the conservation efforts.
Advocate Vinay Srinivas stressed on the need to understand local environment problems, in the light of Acts and Rules in Karnataka.
Writer Nagesh Hegde spoke of the need for good communicators to take the message of the present-day climate to citizens.
Shree Kumar, natural farmer, spoke on sustainable land tending practices and sustainable lifestyles. He spoke from his personal experience as the founding member of the Sangatya Community Homestead at Nakre near Karkala in Dakshina Kannada.
Advocate Basavaprabhu Hosakeri and Janardan Kesaragadde spoke about the need to set up an organisation, Parisarakkaagi Naavu, for climate advocacy and its agenda.
Environment activist Dileep Kamat traced the history of various people-led movements like Chipko and Kittiko Hachchiko that have succeeded in environment conservation.
He drew from his personal experience in leading several agitations, including Save Western Ghats, anti-monoculture plantations and prohibition campaigns and for labour rights.
Rural development activist Prakash Bhat threw light on the intricacies of executing policies and carrying them to the commoners and the ground realities of organisation building and taking people along in environmental struggles.
Alternative learning systems expert Sanjeev Kulkarni said that there is a need to build a strong environmentalists group that can take up persistent and united efforts.
Issues such as the proposed river diversion projects on the Mahadayi and its tributaries, Kalasa and Banduri, and implications of changes in land use patterns in Bhimgad sanctuary were discussed.
Kannada books by climate change communicators Nagesh Hegde and Nagaraj Adve were released.
As many as 110 delegates from across the State participated.
