‘Camaraderie towards safeguarding our Biodiversity’

June 20, 2024 9 Views No Comment

34 Community Conserved Areas meet at CTC Aolijen

Morung Express News
Mokokchung | June 20

The Nagaland Community Conserved Areas meet commenced on June 19 at Clark Theological College, Aolijen, Mokokchung with 34 Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) and more than 230 participants coming together for the event. The event was held under the theme “Camaraderie towards Safeguarding our Biodiversity,” and was hosted by Clark Theological College.

At the inaugural programme, Neema Pathak Brome, Secretary Kalpavriksh and South Asia Coordinator, ICCA Consortium said that the talk on conservation in Nagaland has a unique narrative and has ignited the imagination of the people on conservation.

Brome stated that Nagaland may serve as an inspiration to world leaders in order to achieve global conservation objectives. She emphasized that 75% of Nagaland is under forest reserve, which is something to be proud of, and that more than 80% is under community control.

However, despite the data and progress, there is no statewide policy, legal, technical, or financial support for the CCA, she stated. Brome also assured that Kalpavriksh will continue to help organisations such as the CCA.

In a brief talk on “Strengthening Community Conserved Areas- vision and scope,” Naga conservationist Y Nuklu Phom stated that Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) cannot work in isolation and that all CCAs need to come together since there are many challenges in the state.

While stating some of the challenges, Nuklu mentioned the impact of plantation of alien crops or exotic plants in our land, logging, use of salt, drying of rivers and ponds, extinction of seeds and loss of production, among many.

He stated that there is an environmental emergency and therefore the need to rush by bringing together policy makers, intellectuals, experts, scientists, civil societies and communities. He further stressed on the need to take up missio-ecology focusing on environmental protection in a mission mode.

The Conservator of Forest for Northern Territorial Circle (NTC), Department of Forest & Climate Change, Rongsenlemla Imchen, who graced the meet as the special guest, said the issue and challenges of CCA has so far been focused on conservation but it cannot work in isolation.

“A workshop of this kind, where case study, success stories, issues and challenges can be discussed, consulted and replicated in the respective CCAs, is a much-needed meet,” she asserted while lauding the initiative of the NCCAF.

Imchen informed that the Department’s mandate is trying to expand the conservation area, as a landscape approach. She also addressed on striking a balance between conservation and livelihood security which is addressing alternative source for livelihood dependency. She underscored that the role of NCCAF is very crucial since it can act as the collaborating agent between various CCAs and also other sectors of the government.

In the second session, four topics were discussed and deliberated by various facilitators with the participants. Research, community-led biodiversity surveys and monitoring facilitated by Neema Pathak Brome, Synergy between conservation management plans & enterprises/financial, facilitated by FES & Ruchinilo Kemp, Social equity in conservation facilitated by Akole Tsuhah and Carbon mechanism facilitated by Rudrath Avinashi.

Day one of the meet featured walk-in exhibition from various CCAs which was inaugurated by the special guest. The evening session witnessed a community event with nature sound competitions between various CCAs and presentations.

A working paper on ‘Technical Guidance Document for Nagaland Community Conserved Area’ was also released on the occasion. The programme is sponsored by Kenono Foundation, Lemsachenlok, Kalpavriksh, North East Network and the Nature Conservancy. The NCCAF meet will culminate on June, 20 with retd Chief Secretary Alemtemshi Jamir as the special guest.