Inauguration of NCCAF headquarters marks a milestone for community biodiversity conservation in Nagaland

The Nagaland Community Conserved Area Forum (NCCAF) inaugurated its headquarters on June 21, 2024, at Purana Bazaar, East Dimapur, beside the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT). NCCAF is the apex membership-based body representing Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) in Nagaland, where communities conserve forests and biodiversity on community-owned lands.

The Secretary of NCCAF, Seve Vadeo, chaired the inauguration program, and the Chairman, Heirang Lungalang, gave the welcome address. Dr. Y Nuklu Phom, Advisor NCCAF, performed the dedication prayer, and Neema Pathak Broome, South-Asia Coordinator for Indigenous Community Conserved Areas (ICCA) Consortium, inaugurated the office.

In her inauguration speech, Neema Pathak emphasized that the ICCA Consortium’s support for establishing the NCCAF office aligns with their vision and mandate to support the global movement for indigenous and local communities’ collective territories of life, of which NCCAF is a proud member. She highlighted that Nagaland stands at a critical juncture, initiating exemplary leadership in supporting, sustaining, and documenting territories of life, such as forest, biodiversity, and water body conservation. She stated that the world looks to Nagaland and its people for leadership, and any collective and self-strengthening efforts for its communities serve as a learning experience for the state and the global community.

NCCAF members stated in a press release that the vision of the office is to become a center of excellence, extending the cause of community biodiversity conservation. It aims to be a space for researching and documenting CCAs, facilitating support and policy advocacy for CCAs in Nagaland, and fostering training and capacity building for its members.

Mokokchung Times