(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar – In a significant recognition of academic work rooted in Jammu and Kashmir's traditional knowledge systems, a research paper by Kashmiri researcher Irfan Ali Banka has been officially accepted for presentation at the prestigious World Anthropological Union (WAU) Congress 2025.

Banka's paper, titled“Sustainable Grazing and Marginal Environments: Climate Perspectives from Transhumant Pastoralism in Jammu and Kashmir,” will be featured at the global event scheduled to take place in Antigua, Guatemala, from November 3 to 8, 2025 .

The congress, themed“Unearthing Humanity: Critical and Urgent Epistemic Redefinitions in World Anthropologies,” is a hybrid gathering of leading scholars, students, and practitioners engaging with pressing anthropological questions worldwide.

According to the official notification issued by the WAU Scientific Committee, Banka's submission was selected through a rigorous peer-reviewed process based on its academic quality, thematic relevance, and contribution to the congress's critical objectives.

Reacting to the development, Irfan Ali Banka said,

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“I am proud that voices from J&K's pastoral landscapes will be part of a global conversation on sustainable futures. This journey is rooted in community knowledge, fieldwork, and the hope that policy will one day walk alongside practice.”

The paper focuses on the climate dimensions of transhumant pastoralism-an age-old migratory practice of livestock herding-and its relevance in marginal ecological zones such as those found in Jammu and Kashmir. Banka's work underscores how indigenous grazing systems offer valuable insights into sustainability, adaptation, and resilience amid climate uncertainty.

The WAU 2025 Congress is expected to draw global participation, aiming to redefine critical epistemologies in anthropology and highlight underrepresented voices from diverse cultural and ecological landscapes.

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