TURA: The REDD+ Project Initiative aimed at collaborating with the Khasi Hills region to increase forest cover, improve its management and provide sustainable economy through community participation and leadership was on Tuesday launched in West Garo Hills district at the DRDA Conference Hall in a programme organised by the District Administration in collaboration with Khasi Hills Community REDD+ Project.
Speaking on the occasion, the West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, Ram Singh pointed to the large scale depletion of forest cover and aggressive plantation of Arecanut in the region and said that preserving the forest area is necessary in order to protect the water sources and catchment areas as well as to mitigate the carbon emitted by vehicles, greenhouse gases, factories, etc., thereby increasing the level of oxygen which will further lead to the increase of natural and wildlife habitat in the region.
Stating that water is the most essential commodity in every household , he said that students should be sensitised on this in schools and colleges so that they understand and learn to protect and preserve the water sources and the environment for the future generations. Further, he also urged the educated youth to carry out sustainable livelihood activities in their own villages instead of migrating to towns and cities adding that farming and other allied activities also offer lucrative and profitable business opportunities to earn a living. He also informed that the stakeholders along with Nokmas and dedicated community leaders will be identified and cluster groups would be formed in order to register and implement the project in the region.
Tambor Lyngdoh, Secretary of the “Ka Synjuk Ki Hima Arliang Wah Umiam-Mawphlang Welfare Society (KSKHAWU-MWS), a non government, non-profit and charitable organisation with its headquarters at Mawphlang, informed that the REDD+ Project Initiative is not only involved in Reducing Excessive Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation but also provides Sustainable Management of Forest (SMF) and Afforestation and Reforestation (A&R) activities. In addition to these, he said that the project has created strategic partnership with private sectors for investing in carbon offset credits that will help co-finance climate change adaptation activities in the long run.
Lyngdoh also informed that in Khasi Hills the project has been approved by the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council with the support of the Chief Secretary of the State of Meghalaya including Forest Department and the Head of Climate Change Division of the Ministry of Government of India and is the First Community Forestry Federation in North East India comprised of indigenous government and communities that own much of the region’s upland forest. He said that the project has been registered and certified through Plan Vivo, UK in 2013 as the Khasi Hills REDD+ Project and is the First Community based REDD project in the North Eastern States of India.
Several Nokmas of various a’kings were also felicitated during the program with the “Certificate of Appreciation” for protecting and preserving the forest area in their A’king land.