Experts urge community-led water solutions at Kohima workshop

A two-day workshop on “Understanding Water Challenges and Community Solutions and Building Resilience Through Sustainable and Inclusive Water Practices” held at Kohima Science College (August 19–20) brought together experts, researchers, students, and practitioners who stressed on the urgency of community-led and decentralized solutions to secure water resources in Nagaland and the Northeast.
The programme was organised by North East India Water Talks (NEIWT) in collaboration with the Department of Zoology, Kohima Science College, supported by North East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), Heinrich Böll Stiftung (HBS) and the Centre for Social Work Studies, Dibrugarh University. Around 140 students and experts from across the Northeast participated.
The inaugural session, chaired by Dr. Ruokuovikho Dominic, Assistant Professor of Zoology, began with a keynote address by Dr. Temjenwabang, Principal of Kohima Science College, who highlighted Kohima’s increasing water scarcity and the need to blend traditional wisdom with modern science.
Dr. Manoj Dutta, Assistant Professor, Dibrugarh University, set the workshop’s tone, describing water as part of “our identity and generational heritage” and framing the deliberations as a “call for action” to realise Sustainable Development Goal 6.
Supongnukshi, chief conservator of forests and member secretary Nagaland State Biodiversity Board, linked forest ecosystems directly to water security under climate stress. Dr. Partha Jyoti Das, environmental scientist from Aranyak, outlined vulnerabilities posed by erratic rainfall and rapid urbanisation in the Northeast.
The thematic sessions included interventions from K. K. Chatradhara, river activist, and Dr. Manish Kumar, radiologist-naturalist, who discussed contamination and waterborne diseases. Amenu Richa of NEIDA presented indigenous spring-shed management techniques from Nagaland.
A plenary on participatory water governance was moderated by Thomas Malsom of NEIWT and Dr. Lilongchem Thyug of Kohima Science College, with panellists including Ravindranath, founder of Rural Volunteer Centre, and journalist-researcher Sanat Chakraborty, who highlighted the role of Nagaland’s Communitisation Programme in bridging state and community action.
Day two began with a review by Swedevino Natso of NEIWT, followed by sessions chaired by Luiluile Lungalang, Assistant Professor, Zoology.
Eklavya Prasad, founder of Megh Pyne Abhiyan, delivered one of the most notable lectures, “Rain as Resource: Decentralised Harvesting for Water Security”. Drawing from Bihar and Jharkhand, he urged Nagaland’s students to treat rainfall as a “community-owned asset” and design harvesting systems to offset drought and groundwater depletion. His interactive session, with group activities led by Thomas Malsom, saw students draft action plans for water body protection and rainwater harvesting in the state.
Later, Dr. Philippe Cullet, Professor of International and Environmental Law (SOAS, University of London) and Senior Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, spoke on “Who Owns Water?” He questioned the prevailing models of water ownership, equity and access, urging governance models that embed justice and rights.
Kevileto Rote, department of Soil & Water Conservation, Nagaland, presented practical linkages between agriculture and water conservation.
The final panel on “Action Plan and Advocacy,” moderated by Tosang Chang (NEIWT) and Chiratho M. Nyuwi (Kohima Science College), featured Mrinal Gohain (Action Aid), Ramananda Wangkheirakpam (NEIWT), and Dr. Mirza Zulfiqar Rahman (Heinrich Böll Regional Office). They called for amplifying community voices in policy-making, resisting commodification of water, and democratising water governance.
Students from Kohima Science College, St. Joseph’s College Jakhama, Sazolie College, Don Bosco College, Model Higher Secondary School, Highland Institute, and Dibrugarh University engaged in drafting exercises, proposing grassroots strategies ranging from water literacy campaigns to vocational water education. Many described the process as “transformative.”
The documentation of proceedings was handled by rapporteurs Vekhoshelü Chüzho and Achila T. Imchen, both research scholars.
In the valedictory, Dr. Katasinliu Remmei, Head of Zoology, Kohima Science College, lauded the collaborative spirit and urged participants to carry forward the momentum.
The two-day deliberations had shifted from abstract debates to practical roadmaps: forest-water linkages, legal frameworks, decentralised rain harvesting, and youth-led advocacy. Experts and participants agreed that long-term water security for Nagaland and the Northeast will depend on science, governance, and community participation converging at the grassroots level.