Principal Secretary, DEFCC, Chairman NSBB and Development Commissioner, Y Kikheto Sema, with other officials and participants during the inaugural workshop on Revision of Nagaland State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan at Hotel Japfü, Kohima September 23. (DIPR Photo)
Kohima, September 23 (MExN): The 4Cs viz. Cooperation, coordination, confidence and contribution are essential to protect and promote Nagaland’s rich biodiversity, Principal Secretary, Department of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (DEFCC) and Chairman of the Nagaland State Biodiversity Board (NSBB) and Development Commissioner Y Kikheto Sema, IAS, said on Wednesday.
Sema was speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day workshop on the revision of the Nagaland State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, organised by the NSBB in association with The Nature Conservation Centre (TNCC) and Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) at Hotel Japfü, Kohima.
The workshop began on September 23 and will conclude on September 24.
According to a State DIPR release, Sema said Nagaland is fortunate to have rich biodiversity and forest cover above the national average, stressing the need to conserve it while pursuing sustainable solutions.
He highlighted the State’s unique shifting cultivation system and noted that about 70 percent of Nagaland’s population lives in rural areas and depends on agriculture and allied activities. With diverse agro-climatic conditions supporting crops from dragon fruit to kiwi, he said agro and allied activities remain crucial to the State’s livelihood and economic prospects.
Sema said Nagaland’s biodiversity could also be leveraged to enhance ecological services and attract visitors. He described the revision of the State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan as an opportunity to align conservation efforts with global priorities and called for Nagaland to emerge as a torchbearer for biodiversity conservation in the Northeast.
He urged participants to identify key challenges and opportunities and develop specific priorities and an actionable, integrated strategy for biodiversity conservation.
Sema also stressed that waste management, including solid and liquid waste, requires collective responsibility and greater public awareness. He called for biodiversity and waste management to be discussed in families and incorporated into school curricula, while also appealing to churches to include the issues in Sunday School teachings and church conferences.
Executive Director, TNCC India, Dr Ishwar Narayanan, and General Manager, FES, Sanjay Sharma, delivered short speeches, while APCCF (Territorial), Office of the PCCF & HOFF, Supongnukshi, IFS, delivered the keynote address.
