FBMP reviews conservation achievements as project approaches completion; new human-elephant conflict helpline launched
Community conservation initiatives supported by the Forest and Biodiversity Management in the Himalayas (FBMP) project have covered more than 40,000 hectares of community forests across 64 villages in six districts of Nagaland, with the project’s achievements and long-term sustainability coming under focus at a state-level workshop in Kohima on Tuesday.
The two-day workshop, organised under the theme “Community Conservation: Celebrating Success and Charting the Future”, brought together over 250 government officials, conservation practitioners, community representatives and other stakeholders at the Golden Jubilee Hall, Cathedral Compound.
The workshop comes as the FBMP, also known as the KfW Project, approaches completion, prompting discussions on sustaining conservation initiatives and strengthening community institutions beyond the project’s implementation period.
In his welcome address, Sidramappa Chalkapure, Chief Conservator of Forests and Project Director, FBMP, said the project had contributed to biodiversity conservation, livelihood improvement, community infrastructure development and the strengthening of local institutions.
Among its initiatives, he highlighted conservation measures across approximately 41,000 hectares of community forests, efforts to address human-elephant conflict, and the restoration of spring-sheds and stream-scapes. He also underscored the importance of the Conservation Fund in ensuring the continuity of conservation activities.
Delivering a presentation on the national and global perspectives of conservation, Nand Kishore Agarwal highlighted the importance of community-led conservation and cited Nagaland’s role in the conservation of the Amur Falcon as an example of how local participation and government support could produce wider conservation outcomes.
He stated that Nagaland had more than 400 Community Conserved Areas (CCAs), while calling for greater recognition and financial support for these community-managed conservation spaces. He also referred to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the need to recognise indigenous communities in conservation policies and decision-making.
Sangeeta Agrawal, Senior Sector Specialist, Natural Resource Management, KfW, New Delhi, described the FBMP as an example of participatory conservation under Indo-German cooperation. She highlighted initiatives including landscape-based planning, human-elephant conflict mitigation, the Conservation Fund, People’s Biodiversity Registers and the Morung Experience Centre at Khonoma.
Sharing the experience of community-led conservation, Aullen, Chairman of New Chingmei Village CCA, said livelihood initiatives and the construction of a marketing shed under the project’s Entry Point Activity had encouraged community participation, particularly among women.
He also highlighted regular forest patrolling and monitoring by the village community to prevent illegal hunting, fishing and deforestation.
Kovi Meyase, Commissioner and Secretary of the Tourism and Land Resources departments and Team Leader of NEPED, stressed the role of Community Conserved Areas in strengthening collective responsibility and empowering local communities, particularly women, in conservation-related decision-making. He called for greater youth participation to sustain the project’s achievements.
Delivering the plenary address, Vedpal Singh, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Nagaland, said active community participation and collective responsibility were essential for biodiversity conservation. He also stressed the need to ensure tangible economic benefits for local communities and maintain proper documentation and data to measure conservation outcomes.
A major highlight of the inaugural program was the launch of a toll-free human-elephant conflict helpline, 1800-2020-878, along with the unveiling of project documents and launch of the FBMP website. The initiatives were inaugurated by CL John, Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
In his address, the minister encouraged all 64 project villages to actively participate in conservation activities and ensure judicious utilisation of project funds for tangible development within their respective CCAs. He also urged communities to strengthen human-elephant conflict mitigation through effective use of the newly launched helpline.
The minister further called on villages, particularly the 29 project villages in Tuensang district, to combine traditional knowledge and practices with modern conservation approaches.
The inaugural program also saw the presentation of the FBMP Nagaland Conservation Awards to three villages. Langa village in Tuensang district was recognised for community infrastructure, Thenhayan village in Wokha district for sustainable livelihood, and Mmhayan village in Wokha district for community-led conservation.
The workshop is expected to provide a platform for reviewing project experiences, sharing community-level initiatives and discussing strategies for sustaining community-based forest and biodiversity conservation in Nagaland.
