PROCESSUAL MOUNTAINS
MOUNTAIN ECOLOGY CONGRESS 2026
“Reimagining life and livelihoods in the mountain regions.” A landmark biennial gathering convening 500+ researchers, academicians, policymakers, practitioners, indigenous knowledge holders, and young people.
THE PROCESSUAL MOUNTAIN
“An international assembly examining mountain ecology not as inert geology, but as an ongoing, living process of water, cloud, forest, and community.”
Kangchenjunga & The High Himalayan Crest
The Processual Mountains Congress convenes ecologists, hydrologists, community elders, field researchers, and cultural practitioners at KVASU Campus in Pookode, Wayanad. Through peer-reviewed academic sessions, field transects across high-altitude shola grasslands, archival exhibitions, and vernacular workshops, the Congress articulates new paradigms for montane stewardship amidst accelerating climatic shifts.
Focusing on the bio-geographic corridor of the Nilgiri Biosphere and central Western Ghats, deliberations move beyond mere conservation rhetoric to articulate reproducible protocols for tropical cloud forest resilience and biocultural sovereignty.
THE FIVE CONGRESS WORLDS
The Congress is structured around five distinct conceptual spaces introduced by the client brochure, reflecting the holistic mountain reality.
DZUMSA
Gathering Mountain Knowledge
Academic sessions, keynote addresses, research paper presentations, and policy roundtables. Dzumsa brings together scientists, policymakers, researchers, indigenous knowledge holders, and students across 5 thematic pillars: Climate Change, Biodiversity, Culture, Development, and Disaster.
GAVARI
Resonances of Mountain Culture
A celebration of mountain performing arts, folklore, ritual theatre, music, and oral traditions. Gavari provides an immersive stage for indigenous artists and cultural practitioners to express the living spirit, myths, and ecological memories of high-altitude landscapes.
MORUNG
Learning through Mountain Life
Hands-on experiential workshops, bio-acoustic listening sessions, stream hydrology field labs, and practical masterclasses. Morung fosters learning directly from the mountain environment, rain-forest canopies, traditional artisans, and field naturalists.
HAAT
Where Mountain Knowledge, Culture & Livelihoods Meet
A cultural marketplace and exhibition arena connecting mountain communities, farmers, seed guardians, artisans, ethical producers, organizations, and congress participants. Explore organic produce, heirloom seeds, forest honey, traditional crafts, and ecological innovations.
BAYI
Walking the Living Landscapes of the Mountains
Curated mountain trails and elevational transects across Wayanad’s vital ecological summits—Chembra Peak, Manikkunnu Mala, Banasura slopes, Kurichyarmala, Kurumbalakkotta, and Arattupura. Experience cloud forests, shola grasslands, and hydrologic divides with expert guides.
FEATURED CONGRESS GUESTS
Leading scientists, forest custodians, policy architects, and cultural practitioners gathering at Pookode.
Dr. V.S. Vijayan
Eminent Ecologist & Former Chairman
Kerala State Biodiversity Board
Prof. Madhav Gadgil
Ecologist & Lead Author
Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP)
Dr. Ratheesh Narayanan
Assistant Professor & Plant Taxonomist
Department of Botany, Payyanur College
C.K. Janu
Indigenous Rights Leader & Cultural Elder
Adivasi Gothra Sabha
MAPPING REGISTERED DELEGATES ACROSS INDIA
Every pin represents one individual confirmed delegate, guest, or presenter convening at Pookode, Wayanad for the Mountain Ecology Congress 2026.
RESERVE YOUR PLACE IN THE CONGRESS DELEGATION
Capacity is capped at 500 delegates across scientific symposia, biocultural showcases, and high-altitude shola field transects. Register to secure your seat.
LATEST STORIES & RESEARCH
Field dispatches, scientific commentary, and cultural reflections from the Western Ghats.
Understanding the Processual Mountain: Why Static Conservation Fails in Dynamic Cloud Forests
Mountains are not static geological monuments; they are continuous flows of moisture, seed rain, slope movement, and cultural memory. Here is why our ecological policy must match this dynamism.
Voices from the Sholas: How Wayanad’s Indigenous Communities Map Climate Variations
Long before automated weather stations were installed on mountain ridges, Kattunayakan and Paniya elders tracked micro-climate shifts through cicada emergence, bamboo flowering, and wind patterns.
The Haat Paradigm: Reimagining Mountain Trade Beyond Modern Commodity Chains
How traditional periodic markets offer a blueprint for decentralized, ethical exchange that protects seed sovereignty and local food systems.
ORGANIZERS & PARTNER INSTITUTIONS
SECURE YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE MOUNTAIN ECOLOGY CONGRESS 2026
Registration is open for researchers, academic delegates, students, practitioners, and indigenous knowledge holders.