JMI hosts first Asian Conference on Geography in India

Union Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated the 6th Asian Conference on Geography hosted by the Department of Geography, Jamia Millia Islamia, in collaboration with the Asian Geographical Association at the Ansari Auditorium on Thursday. This is the first time that the Asian Conference on Geography is being organized in India.The theme of the three-day conference from November 6-8 2025 is ‘Climate Change, Urbanization and Sustainable Resource Management in Asian Countries’. In his inaugural address as the Chief Guest, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the meet was timely as it focuses on the deeply interconnected issues of climate change, urbanization, and resource management – issues of “contemporary, futuristic and global concern”. Singh flagged that over 750 million people in Asia and South Asia are exposed to severe pollution and hazards emanating from climate change and named Delhi, Dhaka, Bangkok, and Manila as among the world’s most climate-vulnerable megacities projected by 2050.

Lauding Jamia Millia Islamia for hosting the first-ever edition of ACG in India, Singh said that India has emerged as a global leader in linking economic growth with environmental sustainability, guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and efforts towards creating an “interdisciplinary milieu”. Emphasizing public participation as key to the success of any governmental initiative, he added, “Unless there is a social movement, no amount of policy or seminar will yield optimal results,” and advised for the use of social media and short digital contents like video reels to build awareness and promote sustainable practices as climate is a concern for all not just scholars, scientists and policymakers.Vice Chancellor Prof. Mazhar Asif, hailing the conference as “not only relevant but profoundly transformative” cautioned against unprecedented urbanization, emission of carbon and other toxic fossil fuels, cutting of trees and deforestation. He called for the need to “live in harmony with nature and stop excessive consumption and misuse of natural resources.”Prof. D. P. Singh, educationist and former chairman of the University Grants Commission, said that there was an unprecedented pressure on land, water and other natural resources of the planet leading to heat waves, droughts and other natural disasters. He said that the time had come for Asia to take big steps towards the use and promotion of renewable energy like solar and wind energies. The conference has received an overwhelming response, with a total of 409 registered participants including 53 foreign delegates and 356 Indian delegates. The conference brings together academicians and researchers from a wide range of institutions across India.