Photo Courtesy: nagalandpost
Kohima: Government officials and local conservation groups met Thursday at Hotel Japfu in Kohima. They gathered to shape the draft Nagaland Community Conserved Areas Policy. The meeting brought together representatives from diverse state departments and private organizations to build a working framework for local land protection. It is time for action.
Principal Secretary Y. Kikheto Sema spoke at the event. He serves as chairman of the Nagaland State Biodiversity Board. Sema told the crowd to prioritize local interests during the planning phase. He said, "Keep community interests at the centre of policy discussions." He also pushed for securing steady funding to keep these environmental programs alive.
Vedpal Singh, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, asked for better technical support for these projects. He argued that officials must improve resource profiling to make the policy practical. Other speakers included APCCF Supongnukshi Ao and Member Secretary Sidramappa M. Chalkapure.
The push for this policy gained steam after a 2024 workshop held by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. The Nagaland State Biodiversity Board worked with the Foundation for Ecological Security to host five prior meetings across the state. These sessions included four zonal gatherings and one broad regional meeting to collect feedback.
The current draft pulls data from earlier efforts in 2016 and 2023. It outlines rules for recognizing new areas and setting up management systems. The policy mandates inclusive leadership. It requires input from village councils, women, youth, elders, and landowners. The Nagaland Community Conserved Areas Forum, ICIMOD, and The Nature Conservancy Centre helped prepare the document.
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