The 2nd Sustainable Mountain Development Summit began in Gangtok in Sikkim today.The Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly Mr. KT Gyaltsen inaugurated it.Our correspondent reports that over 250 delegates from eleven mountainous States and the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal will be deliberating on key issues of the Indian Himalayan region including the North East for two days. The summit is organized by the Ecotourism and Conservation Society of Sikkim in collaboration with the Central Himalayan Environment Association,Nainital,Uttarakhand. The Summit will focus on water, mountain livelihoods and communities & forests. The Summit will be concluding with the ‘Sikkim Declaration’ that will highlight key concerns of the Himalayan region tomorrow. A number of side events are also being organized alongside the summit. These include the 2nd Himalayan Photography competition, tree plantation and a meet of the Legislators and Parliamentarians to discuss climate change legislation. The Global Legislators Organisation for Balanced Environment too may open its State Branch in Sikkim,following the Summit