“We know to use and abuse resources and we are failing in understanding the impact.”

Anandi Subramanian, Principal Adviser, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), on Thursday said that one cannot address climate change that is having devastating impact on society without addressing the root cause — global warming and urbanisation.

Ms. Subramanian was speaking after inaugurating Lake-2018 11th biennial conference jointly organised by the Energy and Wetland Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science and Alva’s Education Foundation, at Moodbidri near here.

Speaking on “Conservation and sustainable management of riverine ecosystem”, she said that improper usage of water resources could lead to adverse effects. The government’s new project “green skill development programme and national environmental survey” could see new hope.

Presiding over the inaugural function, Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha Member Nalin Kumar Kateel said that elders always taught people to worship nature to encourage younger generations to conserve it; there is a need to restore such a practice.

Conference Chairman and IISc scientist T.V. Ramachandra elucidated the idea of new ecological order by developing sensible attitude of development which would not threaten nature as well as livelihood. He referred the need for conservation of ecologically sensitive regions, rivers and reservoirs. “Rivers are the basic needs for the existence of civilisation,” he said and added that “We know to use and abuse resources and we are failing in understanding the impact.”

Uma Mohan, Yelahanka, Srividya, Bangalore, Narendra Prasad, Lucknow, and Rajashekhar Murthy, Canada, were felicitated for their contribution to the field of ecology. A poster depicting ecologically sensitive areas in the State and a book which included a collection of data sources of eco-sensitive areas and a pen drive which contains a soft-copy of the source data were released.

More than 800 students from across the State and Indian-foreign delegates are attending the three-day conference. Alva’s Education Foundation trustee Vivek Alva, Alva’s College principal Kurian and Vagdevi Vilas Institution’s chairman Harish Krishnamurthy were present.