Forests in India’s North East comprise 23.75% of the nation’s total forest cover. Unfortunately, this region also experiences the highest rate of forest loss in the country. According to the Forest Survey of India, over 3,000 square kilometers of forest were lost between 2011 and 2021, with nearly a third of this loss occurring from 2019 to 2021 alone. This deforestation has been fueled by increasing development and economic pressures faced by communities living on the fringes of these forests. The North East stands at a critical juncture in its development trajectory, necessitating a sustainable development framework that safeguards these forests, which are essential for the region’s predominantly rural population of smallholder farmers. Despite the challenges, local communities are proactively enacting change, balancing their economic aspirations with the need to protect the forests that sustain their soil and water resources.
Communities taking the lead
Communities in the Northeast have a rich tradition of conservation practices linked to forests. In Sixth Schedule states like Nagaland and Manipur, communities frequently implement traditional land management techniques that designate specific forest areas as community reserve forests. Meghalaya is particularly known for its sacred groves. A 2006
World Bank study on forests in Northeast India revealed that states where community councils maintained clear authority over forests had more effective conservation practices, resulting in an 30% increase in forest cover compared to regions with less community involvement
In the village of Fakim, located in the Kiphire district of Nagaland, traditional forest management practices are actively maintained. The community has designated private lands for agriculture and animal grazing, which are clearly separated from the community reserve forest area. Access to the community reserve forest is partially restricted, requiring advance notification to the village council. Both deforestation and hunting are prohibited, with significant fines imposed on anyone caught violating these rules. Additionally, harvesting of produce or fuelwood is limited to small-scale activities for personal or community use.
The region has seen a significant rise in community-based conservation efforts, fueled by traditional beliefs. Local residents are stepping up as leaders to protect their environment. In Khonoma village, Nagaland,the community established the Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary to safeguard the ecosystem and the endangered Blyth's Tragopan bird. They conduct anti-poaching patrols & awareness campaigns for residents and tourists, promoting a sustainable tourism.
model focused on long-term ecological health.
Emerging local heroes
In Assam, members from the Bodo and Mising communities in Sonitpur and Jorhat districts have been restoring degraded forest lands through scientific habitat restoration. Many of these areas lie close to elephant habitats or corridors and have been facing increasing human-elephant conflict. Communities like those in Bogijuli village in Sonitpur, understood that restoring nearby forest areas would create larger habitats for elephants and restore vital food sources for them, reducing their need to venture into the village and their fields. In the nearby village of Sikom, the restored forest provided shelter to a herd of migrating elephants, and agroforestry has increased incomes by 40%.
In Arungo village in Arunachal Pradesh, Anoko Mega, recipient of the Balipara Foundation Rewilding Grant 2022, is resolute in creating a green corridor - a pathway to reclaiming the lives of the endangered Hillock Gibbon and reconnecting their fragmented habitats. He began by the process of agroforestry with suitable crops of the region, while ensuring the forests remain untouched and thriving to expedite the regeneration of lost biodiversity of the region.
Young people are also stepping up to take the lead. Shikali Awomi, a 29-year-old resident of Sukhai village in Nagaland's Zunheboto district, exemplifies a youth who is passionately committed to preserving biodiversity in her community. The residents of Sukhai, along with a few neighboring areas, have established a community conserved area under the Tizu Valley Biodiversity Conservation Area. Recently, the village has also begun restoring forests after witnessing their depletion due to timber logging, which resulted in soil desertification and decreased soil productivity. Driven by her passion for protecting the village’s natural heritage, Shikali has taken the lead in managing a community nursery for saplings to support forest restoration efforts. The community has collectively restored 120 hectares of forest and is eager to restore more land in the future.
These stories show how development and the preservation of forests can go hand in hand and are not inherently oppositional to each other. Like these, there are scores of others in the region who decide to take matters into their own hands to preserve the environment and biodiversity, recognizing the invisible but important role that nature plays in their wellbeing and their livelihoods.
In every community lies the power to heal our forests; together, we can turn the tide against deforestation and forge a sustainable future.
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