DIMAPUR: A one-day stakeholder consultation workshop on the draft Nagaland Community Conserved Areas (CCA) Policy was held at Hotel Japfu, Kohima on Thursday, bringing together representatives from various government departments, community organisations and conservation groups to discuss and strengthen the proposed policy framework for Community Conserved Areas in the state.
Delivering the inaugural address as special guest, Principal Secretary of the Department of Environment, Forests, Climate Change and Chairman of the Nagaland State Biodiversity Board (NSBB), Y. Kikheto Sema, highlighted the need for a structured policy to sustain community-led conservation initiatives in Nagaland. He urged participants to keep community interests at the centre of policy discussions and stressed the importance of mobilising adequate resources to support conservation efforts.
Speaking as guest of honour, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Nagaland, Vedpal Singh, called for stronger technical orientation in community conservation initiatives through proper resource profiling and management. He also recommended refining the draft policy to make it more practical and effective in facilitating the recognition and management of CCAs.
The keynote address was delivered by APCCF (Territorial), Supongnukshi Ao, while the inaugural session was chaired by Chief Conservator of Forests and Member Secretary of NSBB Sidramappa M. Chalkapure.
According to the organisers, the need for a policy framework for Community Conserved Areas in Nagaland has been discussed for several years and gained momentum following a workshop organised by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kohima in 2024. Subsequently, the Nagaland State Biodiversity Board, in association with the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), facilitated consultations across the state, including four zonal-level and one landscape-level meetings, to gather views from communities and stakeholders.
The draft policy incorporates recommendations from these consultations as well as lessons from earlier draft policy processes undertaken in 2016 and 2023. It proposes guidelines for recognition of CCAs, governance and management systems, monitoring mechanisms, financial and technical support, and landscape-level conservation coordination. The policy also advocates inclusive governance involving village councils, management committees, women, youth, elders, landowners and other village institutions.
The consultation workshop was coordinated by the Nagaland State Biodiversity Board in partnership with the Foundation for Ecological Security and the Nagaland Community Conserved Areas Forum. ICIMOD and The Nature Conservancy Centre also contributed to the drafting and deliberation process of the proposed policy.
