Background

The Western Arunachal Pradesh in North East India comprising of districts Tawang and West Kameng, with an elevational range of 1,200m to above 6,000m is extremely biologically rich, and provides an ideal habitat for many rare and endangered floral and faunal species. However, anthropogenic pressures like fuel wood extraction, shifting cultivation, unplanned development, along with accidental forest fires have resulted in the degradation of the forest lands. While efforts have been made by conservation agencies to balance conservation with development, restoration of degraded forests remains a neglected sector.

Prohibitive level of investments, long gestation periods and inability of restoration programmes with immediate perceptible conservation and livelihood benefits have been a severe constraint. A Forest Landscape Restoration program, with communities themselves whose livelihood is dependent on these forests is a possible solution.

Objective

The project hence envisages undertaking a capacity building training program for the Monpa and Sherdukpen tribal communities of Western Arunachal Pradesh through their traditional village councils, viz, the Mangma and Blu. The program will sensitize the local communities on the need for conservation of natural resources and initiate the process of landscape restoration in a selected patch of degraded land in the community owned forests.

Activities

This year, a nursery has been established in the community land of Sakpret village and villagers have been imparted training in nursery development techniques. The Commander of the Indian Army brigade at Tawang has assured the villagers of procuring the Rhododendron saplings raised by them, thus ensuring economic benefits to the villagers.