University of California, Berkeley, will adopt 100 villages in Meghalaya to start a concept of smart villages and address the issue of urban migration due to environmental issues, said Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma while speaking at the Caux Forum, 2019 Dialogue on Land and Security held in Montreux, Switzerland.
The State government will sign the Memorandum of Understanding with the University of California, Berkeley in September.
‘Our cities are already choking and having smart villages will prevent urban migration and related environmental issues’, Sangma stated. With a population of about 3.3 million people, the Chief Minister said the State is known worldwide for receiving the heaviest rainfall in the world. Informing that Meghalaya is home to about 6500 villages, he said the government will ensure that the National Resource Management Plans are made through full community participation.
He also informed that there is a special emphasis on restoration of land in more than 400 villages of the State and added that the government has linked all livelihood programmes to natural resources, and are encouraging people to protect these natural resources.
At the 2019 Dialogue at Caux in Switzerland, global thought leaders and practitioners explore how community and individual actions can reverse degradation leading to peace and stability.
