Srinagar, Sept. 29 -- An ounce of prevention, as they say, is worth a pound of cure.

Kashmir has learned that lesson from its rivers, orchards and mountains. A blocked stream can flood a village, while a poor winter can trouble an orchard and a dry spring can leave farmers counting losses before the season has properly begun.

Nature keeps its own accounts, and Kashmir is beginning to see how costly those accounts can become when warning signs go unmeasured.

That is why the J&K Science Congress at the Islamic University of Science and Technology in Awantipora needs spotlight beyond its three-day programme.

The gathering brings scientists, academics and researchers together around science, innovation and emerging technology. Its larger ...