The two- day State-Level Workshop by the Forest and Biodiversity Management in the Himalayas (Nagaland) project (FBMP), commenced on the topic “Community Conservation: Celebrating Success and Charting the Future” at Golden Jubilee Hall, Cathedral Compound, Kohima on November 3.
Minister, Department of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (DEFCC), CL John attended the inaugural programme as the Special Guest. The workshop brought together over 250 government officials, conservation practitioners, community representatives and other stakeholders to deliberate on the achievements, challenges and future prospects of community-based forest and biodiversity conservation in Nagaland.
The programme emphasised the importance of community participation, traditional knowledge, customary institutions and collaborative governance in protecting forests and biodiversity. It also provided a platform for sharing experiences, reviewing ongoing initiatives and discussing strategies for strengthening sustainable natural resource management. The workshop also highlighted the relevance of FBMP’s conservation initiatives in Nagaland and its national and global significance, besides its role in promoting Indo-German cooperation in India.
The inaugural session, was held on the theme “Understanding Conservation in Nagaland: Context, Challenges and Governance”. The session commenced with the invocation of blessing of the almighty God by Rev Father Kokto Kurain and welcome address by Sidramappa Chalkapure, IFS, Chief Conservator of Forests and Project Director, FBMP. He highlighted the achievements of the Forests and Biodiversity Management in Himalaya (Nagaland) Project, popularly known as the KfW Project, implemented across 64 villages in six districts of Nagaland.
He highlighted the project’s contributions towards biodiversity conservation, livelihood improvement, community infrastructure development and strengthening of local institutions, including conservation measures across 41,000 hectares of community forests, addressing human-elephant conflict and restoration of spring-sheds and stream-scapes.
He also emphasised the importance of the Conservation Fund in ensuring the sustainability of conservation initiatives. He acknowledged the support and contributions of the Nagaland State Biodiversity Board, Forest Department, NEPED, KfW German Development Bank and other partner organisations. He stated that the workshop aimed to review project achievements, share success stories, exchange community experiences and deliberate on future strategies for sustainable community conservation 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 and cited the successful conservation of the Amur Falcon in Nagaland as an example of how community participation and government support could transform a conservation challenge into a globally recognised success story. He also emphasised the importance of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the need to recognise indigenous communities in conservation policies and decision-making. He stated that Nagaland had more than 400 Community Conserved Areas (CCAs), while the FBMP covered 64 villages, protecting 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.
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Sangeeta Agrawal, Senior Sector Specialist, Natural Resource Management, KfW, New Delhi, highlighted the contribution of Indo-German cooperation towards biodiversity conservation in India. She described FBMP Nagaland as a successful example of participatory conservation, highlighting initiatives such as landscape-based planning, HumanElephant Conflict (HEC) mitigation, the Conservation Fund, People’s Biodiversity Registers and the establishment of the Morung Experience Centre at Khonoma.
Representing the community perspective, Aullen, Chairman of New Chingmei Village CCA, shared the village’s experiences in biodiversity conservation. He highlighted how livelihood initiatives and the construction of a marketing shed under the Entry Point Activity (EPA) had encouraged community participation, particularly among women. He also emphasised the role of regular forest patrolling and monitoring in preventing illegal hunting, fishing and deforestation. In his opening remarks, Shri Kovi Meyase, Commissioner & Secretary, Tourism and Land Resources Departments, and Team Leader, NEPED, highlighted the importance of Community Conserved Areas in strengthening collective responsibility and empowering local communities, particularly women, in conservation-related decision-making. He called for sustaining the achievements of the project and encouraging youth participation to build a lasting conservation legacy across the State.
Delivering the plenary address, Vedpal Singh, IFS, PCCF & HoFF, Nagaland, stressed that active community participation and collective responsibility were essential for successful biodiversity conservation. He also emphasised the need to ensure tangible economic benefits, both direct and indirect, to local communities for the long-term sustainability of conservation initiatives and to develop concrete data/documentation which can become the indicator of success.
A major highlight of the programme was the unveiling of project documents, launch of the FBMP project website and inauguration of the Human-Elephant Conflict toll-free helpline 1800-2020-878 by the Special Guest, CL John, Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of Nagaland. In his inaugural address, the Minister encouraged all 64 project villages to actively participate in conservation activities and ensure the judicious utilisation of project funds for tangible development within their respective CCAs.
He urged communities to take the lead in biodiversity conservation and highlighted the need to strengthen HEC mitigation measures through effective utilisation of the newly launched helpline. He also called upon villages, particularly the 29 project villages in Tuensang District, to combine traditional knowledge and practices with modern conservation approaches.
The inaugural programme also witnessed the presentation of the FBMP Nagaland Conservation Awards to three villages for their contributions in different categories. 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 vote of thanks was delivered by Hukato Chishi, IFS, CF (STC) and Deputy Project Director, FBMP where he expressed gratitude to the Minister for his presence and thanked every individual who contributed in making the programme a successs . The inaugural session was compered by Dr Kezevituo Metha and Dr Tintoli A Kuho. The programme concluded with a group photograph and a tea break, providing an opportunity for interaction among dignitaries, resource persons and community representatives.
