KfW Frankfurt Team Mission to Nagaland

Kohima, January 18 (MExN): A KfW team consisting of Dr Florian Wieneke, Senior Portfolio Manager, Natural Resources and Climate Asia, Matthias Bechtolsheim, Senior Technical Advisor, Natural Resources and Climate Asia from Germany and Sangeeta Agarwal, Senior Specialist KfW are visiting Nagaland from January 16 to 24 on a mission for Forest & Biodiversity Management in the Himalaya, (Nagaland) Project (FBMP).

The team will visit the project villages, interact with village communities and inspect the works being implemented by the communities, stated a press release received here. 

During their mission, they also took part in the celebration of 25 Years of community conservation in Khonoma Village on January 17, organized and hosted by Khonoma Nature & Tragopan Conservation Society (KNCTS) and Forest & Biodiversity Management in the Himalaya, (Nagaland) (FBMP) Project funded by KfW.

The programme was chaired by Keneivito, KNTC Secretary and began with a prayer by Nilhuvono Vakha followed by welcome address by Ngusa Ratsa Vice Chairman, VC Khonoma. Key stakeholders of the village representing KNCTS, Khonoma Student and Youths, Eco Tourism Management Committee (ETMC) presented their activities and contribution towards the community conservation efforts in the village. 

Supongnukshi IFS, Project Director FBMP in his keynote address presented the FBMP Project detail including implementing structures, roles & responsibilities of different stakeholders and goals of the project.

Florian Weineki, Senior Portfolio Manager, KfW addressed the gathering and declared the 25th year anniversary of community conservation in Khonoma village. He also informed the communities that a Morung Experience Centre should be constructed at Khonoma village to mark the anniversary with support from the FBMP-KfW funded project. 

The purpose of the Morung Experience Center would be to conserve the historical, cultural and conservation heritage of Khonoma and be a model for community based conservation of biodiversity and natural resources. It would also serve as a centre for community conservation and eco-tourism management training.

About the project 
Forest and Biodiversity Management in the Himalaya (Nagaland) Project is funded by KfW under German Financial Cooperation with India. The programme supports the Government of Nagaland in the effective and sustainable management of Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) in selected landscapes in Nagaland for improved connectivity and conservation of biodiversity, while supporting forest dependent communities in their livelihoods. 

Nagaland State Biodiversity Board is the Project Executing Agency and it is implemented in the field by two Project Implementing Agencies, Department of Environment, Forests & Climate Change or Forest Department (FD), and Nagaland Empowerment of People through Economic Development (NEPED). At grassroots level Project Implementation Units are Village level CCA Committees supported by FD & NEPED officials, The Foundation of Ecological Security (FES) will support in preparation of management plans, documentation, mapping and other agencies will be involved in technical & scientific input as per requirement of the Project.