Meet on Conservation & Sustainable Development of North East ends

Sobhapati Samom
Takyelpat (Manipur), August 20: An understanding has been reached in this regard at the end of the two-day stakeholders meet on “Conservation and Sustainable Development of North East Himalayan Region’ at Institute of Bio resources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Department of Biotechnology campus near Imphal on Friday.
“We have even identified some of the key sectors for the promotion conservation and sustainable development activities in NE states,” says Director Prof Dinabandhu Sahoo of IBSD. “So we’re thinking of creating a model for the improvement of sustainable bio-economy in the region by creating bio-entrepreneurs.”
To keep engage the people and generate a sustainable bio-economy in order to integrate it with their livelihood issue, the meet held under the aegis of IBSD also identified fishery and bamboo sector activities in case of Mizoram while eco-tourism in case of Nagaland, Director Sahoo said.
Similarly water management and integrated agriculture will be main focus area for Manipur while ginger conservation in case of Sikkim.
“We’ve even sent two (fishery) scientists in Mizoram for a study,” he informed and added that India is a country having 70 percent farmers’ population which could generate more eco-system services if the existing systems are strengthen and improved with scientific and social inputs.
Interestingly in case of Assam, the scientists will be joining hands with certain civil society organizations to launch a mass campaign on conservation and sustainable development of one horn Rhino sooner or later, he added.
Besides a United Nations sustainable development goals summit will also organized as part of the joint initiative in Guwahati from December 5-6 next.
Dehradun based Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation’s Chairman Anil P Joshi also told The Assam Tribune that once the joint initiative of science and society leaders comes into reality with a positive model, it could be replicated in the implementation process of the government agencies for the betterment of the society.
Civil society organisations members from Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Sikkim, Mizoram, Nagaland besides Professors and scientists from Manipur University, Central Agriculture University, Indian council of agricultural research and Krishi Vigyan Kendra also minutely discussed the issues relating to food processing, aromatic and medicinal plants, organic farming, nursery techniques and planting materials and sustainable eco-tourism during the meet.