The mountains are calling and they need help

After spending several summers as a young boy in search of accommodation amidst the Himalayas and then around our home in Joshimath, Uttarakhand in Bhutan, I must confess my love for the mountains. Since my father worked for the Border Roads Organisation, I was infected long ago with a love and respect for the hills and mountains, a love that I have maintained throughout.

India is home to some of the largest and most beautiful mountain ranges in the world. They are among the most environmentally sensitive ecosystems, and are being affected at a rapid rate by the adversities of climate change and other environmental threats. Therefore, there is a need to intensify efforts towards addressing the challenges present in hill cities to make our mountain ecosystem more sustainable.

The plastic waste crisis in the mountains: The threat to environmental sustainability knows no bounds, and is relevant for mountains as well. One such environmental tragedy lying on our mountains is plastic waste. A major contributor to plastic waste in the mountains is packaging, which, if not managed properly, can end up in landfills, streams and rivers, causing harmful effects. This challenge, along with the high tourist footfalls in these areas, overload waste-management systems in a way that results in waste ending up in forests, valleys and rivers. An issue as big and complex as plastic waste requires commitment and action from multiple stakeholders for its effective management. The participation of all these stakeholders is crucial for the development of an inclusive, resilient and sustainable model for waste management in India’s hill cities.

Collaboration is vital to building a sustainable ecosystem: business success depends on a healthy planet. It is important for companies that pledge sustainability to make it part of their corporate DNA. There is a need to work collaboratively to protect the health of these habitats and adopt sustainable best practices for clean and green mountains. Businesses must act as responsible environmental managers and continuously strive to reduce environmentally degrading waste and emissions while optimizing production measures through a comprehensive action plan.

Key interventions can make a difference: Streamlining the waste supply chain from source to end is an important first step in achieving the goal of removing waste from landfills and ensuring sustainability. In our mountainous cities, it is a challenge to streamline the segregated collection, transport, storage and end-of-life disposal of waste, given the terrain and weather conditions. In some areas, the infrastructure used for collection and storage is also inadequate. Therefore, efforts should be intensified to ensure that the necessary infrastructure and staff are put in place to meet the specific needs of different cities. The use of digital monitoring systems to track the entire waste journey can make it easier to identify problems early and address them in real time.

To bring about a lasting change, it is important to change attitudes, habits and general behaviors towards waste. In Indian hill towns, given their high tourism appeal, widespread littering is a major concern. Litter that ends up in crevices and canyons is particularly difficult to clean, and usually requires deep-diving with specialized equipment. To address this challenge, it is important to foster partnerships between local non-profit organizations, merchant associations, market associations and schools to conduct clean-up campaigns and provide bins in prime locations, among other interventions. Awareness campaigns that include door-to-door campaigns, area-specific training modules for hotels, markets and households, and dissemination of information can have a positive impact on waste management.

Businesses can make a difference: Going forward, the focus should be on the ‘implementation’ of sustainable and eco-friendly practices. While efforts need to be stepped up to restore our mountain ecosystems, businesses also have a responsibility to ensure sustainability across the value chain. Sustainability requires organizations to take a holistic approach. Environmental considerations should be an integral part of their business plan, whether it is research and development, integration of supply chains or new manufacturing methods. Organizations must leverage their scale, expertise and resources to meet the challenges we face.

Sustainability is a way of life. We all have an obligation to each other, to our future generations and to other species to maintain the planet and make it a better place. The path to a sustainable future rests on us. By modifying human behavior, embedding sustainable practices and adopting innovative technologies, we can take important steps to build a better future and leave behind a world that is worthy of generations to come.

Suresh Narayanan The Chairman and Managing Director of Nestle India is