Wildlife plays a very important role in shaping and planning forestry and natural resource management programme and projects. Two such very significant projects are being implemented through the Department of Environment Forests and Climate Change (DEFCC) and Nagaland Empowerment of People through Economic Development (NEPED). Though not exclusives of only wildlife conservation and management, the two Externally Aided Projects includes it as an integral part of the programme.
The first being Nagaland Forest Management Project (NFMP), is a project supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a bilateral programme between India and Japan. It is a 10-year long project (2017-2027) implemented through the Department of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Nagaland. It is to reach out to 185 villages spread all over the state and is focussed on building upon jhum practises for better management through assisted plantations and soil and moisture conservation activities. A larger part of the project area under this project covers the conservation and management of Community Conservation Areas (CCAs). The focus of the activity is on coming up with management plans for the community, to better understand, evaluate and monitor their conserved areas. These CCAs of our states are home to many wildlife species. There are certain restrictions imposed by the community especially on hunting, though not mandatorily in all the prior selected sites. Through the project, strengthening of the community’s resolve on conservation is encouraged. Improvement of such areas are done through improvement of wildlife habitats activities, undertaking of surveys and assessments, soil and moisture conservation activities assisted natural regeneration, conducting education and awareness programmes etc. Some components of the projects also aim at converting active jhum and jhum fallow areas to conservation areas in the long run, thereby increasing existing CCAs as well as creating forested corridors, connecting fragmented forest area for easy movement of wildlife.
The second project is the “Forest & Biodiversity Management Project in the Himalayas, Nagaland” supported by the government of Germany and funded through the German Development Bank, KfW. This project is also a bilateral programme between India and Germany and is an eight-year project (2019-2027). It is being implemented in 64 villages spread across five districts of the state. It is a joint implementation program between the Department of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and NEPED. The project focuses exclusively on existing Community Conservation Areas (CCAs) and is undertaken at a landscape level management. The projects intend to strengthen management programmes of such existing conserved areas through enhancing the deliverable capacities of the communities involved and in consolidating fragmented areas by creating natural corridors wherever possible. There is also a greater emphasis given towards developing biodiversity-based livelihood opportunities for the community members. This enhanced opportunity created will uplift the economic status of the communities which in turn would ease the anthropogenic pressure on forest resources, thereby improving ecological services of the natural areas.
Unlike many of the earlier projects on forestry and wildlife conservation, the two projects focus on improving the economic condition of the communities by providing alternative livelihood options. The biodiversity and ecosystems of Nagaland, being valuable for their intrinsic value, also provide critical ecosystems services such as, provisioning services (food, fresh water, fuel wood, fibre and other non-timber forest products), cultural services (the social, religious and cultural life of the tribal communities which is closely linked to the forest), and supporting service (soil formation, nutrient cycling and primary production). Therefore the project focuses on protecting natural forests by strengthening conservation and protection efforts through the participation of the rural communities, providing means for increasing household income and augmenting the current agricultural practices by proliferating traditional agricultural knowledge systems. The forest development will materialised through use of relevant forest technology as proposed under the project, such as forest stand improvement and natural/artificial regeneration of key forest species including timber and NTFP species.
Feeling the necessity of augmenting and enhancing existing conservation efforts undertaken by the communities, the projects were formulated to evolve and integrate organised management planning into the systems. Traditional and Indigenous management systems have so far brought about the present status and successes recognised and acknowledged widely. However, with more understandings and technical knowledge evolving on better conservation management and planning, the changing dynamics of natural areas need to be reviewed and studied through the context of human demographic changes and more importantly so, through the lens of climate influence and changes over the course of time. It is very encouraging to see the good progresses of the projects which has been possible due to the active participation of the people and all the stakeholders involved. With the successful implementation of these programmes a shift in the perspective towards wildlife and its importance is definitely foreseen in the years to come.
Supongnukshi (IFS)
Chief Conservator of Forest
Dept. of Environment Forest and Climate Change, Nagaland.