Annual review meeting of NFMP conducted in Mon

DIMAPUR — As part of a mandate of the Nagaland Forest Management Project (NFMP) funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), an annual review meeting was held at the Divisional Forest Office, Mon, on May 22.

Under the Divisional Management Unit (DMU), NFMP Mon, DMU staff, FMU staff, FNGOs, DC representative and 15 villages currently undertaking project activities, attended the review meeting, an update stated.

The programme was chaired by DMU staff, Kute Lachu, monitoring and evaluation expert while Rajesh Kumar, divisional forest officer-cum- DMU head, Mon division, delivered the welcome address.

Brief presentations were delivered by DMU staff, field management unit (FMU) heads, and FNGO on the activities undertaken in the previous years.

In addition to presentations, 15 village representatives in the form of JFMCs and self-help groups (SHGs) also shared their positive experiences, grievances and challenges faced in the course of the project activities.

They expressed appreciation for the NFMP initiative, noting significant improvements in village biodiversity and the benefits of the revolving funds for SHGs.

The FMU staff also shared insights gained from field duties.

Several noteworthy success stories were shared by the JFMCs and SHGs during the meeting, it stated.

Nyamok Konyak, EAC Mon Hq., expressed her gratitude to the Forest department in their effort to enhance the lives of the community.

She underscored the project’s aim of sustainable environmental management, urging the participants to take ownership of their environment beyond the project’s duration.

The EAC further emphasised on the value of acquired knowledge and ideas, encouraging their integration into daily life and passing them down to future generations.

The annual review meeting facilitated the sharing of experiences, cross learning and provided a platform for identifying areas of improvement, and foster exchange of ideas among different committees.

The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Ponglih T, capacity building, IEC and documentation expert.