Staff Reporter
LUMAMI, DECEMBER 17
FOR the very first time in the chequered history of Nagaland’s lone central University, or for that matter in the whole history of Nagaland, research scholars, academicians and ecology students from all over the country, and some from France and the United States of America, have landed in Lumami to “share ideas on ecology” and hopefully provide a much needed jolt to Nagaland, which is still in conflict with ecology conservation.The three-day conference is an initiative of Young Ecologists Talk and Interact (YETI), a network of ecology student volunteers from all over the country. This year’s edition in Nagaland University is the fifth of the kind which is held annually.
On day one in Lumami, more than two hundred twenty students, including four from the USA and one from France, registered for the conference. Roughly around 40 students from the Nagaland University are also attending the conference.
The choice of Nagaland as the host to this year’s edition of the YETI conference also assumes significance. “Nagaland is identified as one of the (bio-diversity) hotspots. And soon as we enter the state, we can see why,” said one of the research scholars from Andhra Pradesh.
According to Satem Longchar, one of the brains behind the YETI conference in Lumami, the YETI members follow the tradition of “democratic voting” to decide the host state. Reportedly, there was a fierce debate between Nagaland and another state on the issue of hosting the conference. But in the end the members opted for Nagaland.
“We wanted the students to not only feel our bio-diversity but also have their cultural views about our area. Moreover, our students here get exposure. That’s the main thing,” she said.
Day one had two plenary sessions, one on Plant phenology in Asian tropics presented by Dr Deepak Barua and the other on A river writes its own history- Idea for environmental history of the Brahmaputra presented by Dr Arupjyoti Saikia. Paper presentations, poster presentations and parallel workshops were also held.
In the context of Nagaland, day two will be most relevant particularly the symposium on Community Conservation Initiatives. Besides experts’ take on the issue the symposium will also feature community members from Nagaland sharing their experience and works.
According to the deputy manager of Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) North East Cell, Alakesh Malla Baruah, Nagaland has “a huge potential” to become a model state on Community Conservation. “We think Nagaland can be a model state, for all the other states of the country to see and learn.”
FES figures showed that 81% of the state’s geographical area is covered by forest out of which 90% is owned by the community. In collaboration with NEPED, the FES has already initiated more than 300 Community Conservation Areas (CCAs) in Nagaland.
“This will mean that there are more than 700 villages where CCAs have been created,” he told Eastern Mirror. The CCAs range from completely inviolate zones to multiple zones.
More crucially, all the CCAs are run by management committees endorsed by their respective village councils. “This is important because the involvement of the village council ensures that the rules are strictly followed,” Baruah said.
In one of the CCAs in Peren district, the village youth body has been tasked with the responsibility to monitor the implementation of the rules of conservation.
FES data also showed cases of villages coming in clusters to preserve and conserve forest and wildlife. In Zunheboto, 14 villages have come together to create the Nanga Greener Zone CCA that covers an area of around 50 sq km.
Another 11 villages under Satoi area in Zunheboto have converged to conserve roughly 50 sq km of forest area. In Phek seven villages have come together to conserve about 40 sq km of forest called the Zanibu CCA.
Currently, the FES and NEPED team have proposed a model framework to be introduced in all the CCAs and awaits the state government’s nod to proceed. There have also been suggestions that the state government should take up the CCA project for it to sustain.
On Wednesday, the symposium on Community Conservation Initiatives is expected to throw up ideas and possibilities of expanding the CCA program and transforming Nagaland into the desired model state.
