Srinagar, Aug. 12 -- The twenty-first century has fundamentally transformed the way societies must think about development. Economic progress can no longer be measured solely by the construction of roads, bridges, buildings and other conventional infrastructure.

Across the world, governments are increasingly recognising that rivers, wetlands, forests, lakes, floodplains and natural water systems are equally indispensable public assets. These ecosystems perform functions that engineered infrastructure alone cannot replicate as they regulate floods, store and purify water, recharge aquifers, stabilise landscapes, sustain biodiversity, moderate local climates and support livelihoods.

Collectively, they constitute Blue-Green Infrastructure ...