Correspondent
KOHIMA, NOV 3 (NPN): Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change and Village Guards, C.L. John, Tuesday stressed the need to strengthen community responsibility in protecting the state’s forests and wildlife, while calling for stricter adherence to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day State-Level Workshop on “Community Conservation: Celebrating Success and Charting the Future”, organised by the Forest and Biodiversity Management in the Himalaya (Nagaland) Project (FBMP) at Golden Jubilee Hall, Cathedral Compound, Kohima, on Tuesday, John said conservation efforts needed to be backed by concrete action at the community level. He called for curbing hunting and indiscriminate forest burning, while promoting afforestation and responsible management of natural resources.
John said Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) played an important role in safeguarding biodiversity and maintaining ecological balance. He urged communities across Nagaland to strengthen conservation initiatives through collective efforts. Referring to the 64 villages covered under the project, the minister called for proper utilisation of funds provided to them, with emphasis on activities that would bring lasting benefits to their communities and respective conservation areas.
He also highlighted the growing concern over human-elephant conflict (HEC), stating that the department had been pursuing various measures to address the problem. He stressed the need to strengthen community-level responses and ensure effective use of the newly introduced HEC toll-free helpline 1800-2020-878.
John further encouraged villages, particularly the 29 project villages in Tuensang district, to integrate traditional conservation practices with modern approaches to biodiversity management.
In his welcome address, Sidramappa Chalkapure, IFS, Chief Conservator of Forests and Project Director, FBMP, highlighted the achievements of the KfW-supported project, implemented across 64 villages in six districts of Nagaland.
He said the project had contributed to biodiversity conservation, livelihood improvement, community infrastructure development and strengthening of local institutions. Its initiatives included conservation measures across 41,000 hectares of community forests, addressing human-elephant conflict and restoration of spring-sheds and stream-scapes.
Chalkapure also stressed the importance of the Conservation Fund in ensuring the sustainability of conservation initiatives. He acknowledged the support of the Nagaland State Biodiversity Board, Forest Department, NEPED, KfW German Development Bank and other partner organisations. He said the workshop aimed to review project achievements, share success stories and community experiences, and discuss future strategies as the project approached completion.
Delivering a presentation on “Conservation through FBMP Nagaland and National/Global Perspectives”, Nand Kishore Agarwal highlighted the global significance of community-led conservation. Citing the successful conservation of the Amur Falcon in Nagaland, he said community participation and government support could turn a conservation challenge into a globally recognised success story.
He also highlighted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the need to recognise indigenous communities in conservation policies and decision-making. Agarwal said Nagaland had more than 400 CCAs, while FBMP covered 64 villages and protected over 40,000 hectares of community forests. He stressed that greater recognition and financial support for CCAs were essential for sustaining biodiversity conservation and safeguarding indigenous communities’ interests.
Sangeeta Agrawal, Senior Sector Specialist, Natural Resource Management, KfW, New Delhi, highlighted Indo-German cooperation in biodiversity conservation in India. She described FBMP Nagaland as an example of participatory conservation, citing landscape-based planning, HEC mitigation, the Conservation Fund, People’s Biodiversity Registers and the Morung Experience Centre at Khonoma.
Representing the community perspective, Aullen, chairman of New Chingmei Village CCA, shared the village’s conservation experiences. He said livelihood initiatives and construction of a marketing shed under the Entry Point Activity had encouraged community participation, particularly among women. He also highlighted the role of regular forest patrolling and monitoring in preventing illegal hunting, fishing and deforestation.
In his opening remarks, Kovi Meyase, Commissioner and Secretary of Tourism and Land Resources departments and Team Leader, NEPED, highlighted the role of CCAs in strengthening collective responsibility and empowering local communities, particularly women, in conservation-related decision-making. He called for sustaining the project’s achievements and encouraging youth participation to build a lasting conservation legacy across the state.
Delivering the plenary address, Vedpal Singh, IFS, PCCF and HoFF, Nagaland, stressed that active community participation and collective responsibility were essential for successful biodiversity conservation. He emphasised the need to ensure tangible direct and indirect economic benefits for local communities for the long-term sustainability of conservation initiatives. He also called for concrete data and documentation to serve as indicators of success.
The inaugural programme also witnessed the presentation of FBMP Nagaland Conservation Awards to three villages. Langa village of Tuensang district received the award for Community Infrastructure, Thenhayan village of Wokha district was recognised for Sustainable Livelihood, while Mmhayan village of Wokha district received the award for Community-led Conservation.
The two-day workshop brought together over 250 government officials, conservation practitioners, community representatives and other stakeholders to discuss achievements, challenges and future prospects of community-based forest and biodiversity conservation in Nagaland. It highlighted the importance of community participation, traditional knowledge, customary institutions and collaborative governance in protecting forests and biodiversity.
The invocation was pronounced by Rev. Father Kokto Kurain. The vote of thanks was delivered by Hukato Chishi, IFS, CF (STC) and Deputy Project Director, FBMP. The session was compered by Dr. Kezevituo Metha and Dr. Tintoli A. Kuho.