Kohima Forest Division organised an exposure trip for Zhadima Joint Forest Management Committee to Khonoma village on October 8.
‘Conservation Areas are intact because of the community involvement’
Kohima, October 9 (MExN): Kohima Forest Division organised an exposure trip under the initiative ‘My CCA, My Pride’ for Zhadima Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC) to Khonoma village on October 8.
The JFMC members were introduced to how Community Conservation Areas have a huge impact on the mutual co-existence of humans and wildlife, Rajkumar M, IFS, Divisional Forest Officer, Kohima stated in a press release.
In the opening remark, Rajkumar M, IFS, DFO Kohima said that the main purpose of the exposure visit is to learn the experiences of conservation initiatives taken up by the community. “Nagaland has one of the highest number of Community Conservation areas in the country,” he said and that the efforts taken by communities for conservation not just benefit the village or district but the entire world since biodiversity is interlinked.
The DFO briefed about ‘Project Future’ where innovative awareness projects are implemented by Kohima Forest Division. He emphasized that the youth of the villages should actively participate in conservation initiatives and take pride in their conservation areas.
Kezhaseria Meyase, Chairman, Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary (TRUST) informed that the conservation began on December 11, 1998 by some of the “uncles” from the village. “Khonoma village community being from a hunting and logging community, taking a U-turn from how they were in the past was not an easy task as they relied on hunting and logging for their livelihood and sustenance.” He said, “For the people who started the idea of conservation, was not an easy task as they were criticized for being idealists. In time, the community began to see the importance of conservation.”
He emphasized that the conservation at Khonoma is effective because of the involvement of the community. It is possible to cut down a forest in a day through logging but even today, the Community Conservation Areas are intact because of the community involvement, he added.
Keneivito Christopher Sophi, Secretary, Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary (TRUST) briefed about the history of the village and how the concept of conservation and preservation was initiated. He said that the idea of conservation started in 1998 by the visionary village elders and how all the organization in the village community is involved in conservation. Sharing about the benefits of conservation, he said that tourists’ inflow has increased and the biodiversity has increased. He highlighted about Alder trees based Jhum cultivation in the village that serves as the alternate source for firewood resulting in keeping the other forests untouched and maintaining the ecosystem conservation in tune with the nature.
V Mato Koso, RFO & FMU Head, Chiephobozou Range said that one should not destroy the habitat of wildlife as they come and settle in par with their environmental conditions. He said that one must ensure about the survival of wildlife. He thanked the Khonoma village community for sharing about their conservation areas, for being welcoming, for their generosity and for their hospitality.
Kedelizo, JFMC Vice Chairman, Zhadima thanked the DFO for organising the exposure tour and expressed gratitude to the Khonoma village community for sharing their experiences and giving them insights about community led conservation efforts.
