MAWKYRWAT: An international delegation selected a village in South West Khasi Hills to improve rural livelihood focusing on fish sanctuary.
The Procasur Corporation of Asia in collaboration with International Fund For Agricultural Development (IFAD) and North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project (NERCORMP) have developed the’ Learning Initiative’ and has selected Rohbah village in South West Khasi Hills District as their ‘Learning Route’, an innovative solution and successful strategy for rural livelihood and improvement through sustainable forest and natural resource management.
In this context, a meeting was held on Friday at Arlad Lower Primary School, Rohbah where government departments and communities shared their views.
Experiences and best practices on conservation of the Ursngikullut Fish Sanctuary located at the Rilang river.
The initiative was under the framework of the IFAD-PROCASUR Grant Programme” Strengthening Capacities and Tools to scale up and disseminate Innovations” (2016-18).
The event was participated by IFAD project staff from Peru in Latin America, Sudan and Kenya from Africa, France, Italy from Europe, Nepal and Bangladesh in Asia and NERCORMP. L.K. Diengdoh, Extra Assistant Commissioner, D.G. Lyngdoh, Superintendent of Fisheries, R. Lyngdoh, Secretary Rohbah village and Hector Kharsyiemlieh resident of Rohbah shared their experiences on the Ursngikyllut Fish Sanctuary.
There was also an interactive session between members of the communities and delegates on how the fish sanctuary has contributed to the communities especially in terms of income and livelihood.The residents of Rohbah informed the delegation that after the Thwei Ursngikyllut has been declared as the fish sanctuary in 2012, many developmental activities from various government departments have been implemented in the village which have benefitted Rohbah and other villages in the area.
The Secretary of the village also informed that the flow of tourists keeps on increasing every year and they have a plan to beautify the surrounding of the sanctuary so that it will become one of the popular tourist destinations.
