SHILLONG, June 7: The Meghalaya government has mobilised externally-aided projects worth almost Rs 4,700 crore for natural resource management in the state.
Addressing the closing function of the weeklong commemoration of World Environment Day 2022 at Soso Tham auditorium here on Tuesday, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said syncing various government departments and agencies were the key to approaching natural resource management.
“We started in 2018 with a policy for water because without that the entire process would not be connected. Then we realised the state budget and funds are not enough for us to be able to fund the different projects we want. So, we started moving aggressively on different externally-aided projects,” he said.
Sangma said the objective of having a week-long programme was not only to create awareness on various environmental issues and highlight the steps undertaken to manage the natural resources better but also to acknowledge and encourage proactive behaviour among individuals towards the preservation and protection of the environment.
“While we look at what the government and the officials are doing, we should also look at what we can do as citizens,” he said.
Underlining the importance of community participation and the role of natural resource management committees at the rural level, the chief minister said: “We have such committees in all the 6,500-plus villages so that the entire effort of the government can trickle down to the grassroots level.”
The CM also highlighted the role of technology and innovation to better manage the different programmes under natural resource management.
Sangma dwelt on the government’s Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) which aims to preserve catchment areas and forest cover from degradation due to rural livelihood activities. The project, first implemented as a pilot in the Ganol catchment areas of West Garo Hills, aims to bring on board rural communities in preserving the forests in return for monetary incentives and alternate livelihood activities.
“This is the largest such programme in the country today. This is going to show the way for many other states and regions and this is the best way to ensure that we are able to protect our environment,” he said.
Forest and Environment Minister James PK Sangma spoke about the significance of technology in the protection and preservation of the environment and ecosystems.
He said his department is implementing nature-based solutions to combat the environmental problems faced due to human activity. The department is also collaborating with the Education department on making climate change a part of the school curriculum, he said, while adding that climate change, global warming and other climate-related jargon like carbon sequestration are technical terms that children don’t really comprehend or understand.
“One way of battling climate change is to go to the young, to our youth, to our school children… In Meghalaya, we have environmental sciences, but that is redundant today. Climate change is far more overarching, extremely relevant and important for our children to know,” he said.
“We have initiated collaboration with the education department of our state and we are working on how we can bring climate change as a part of school curriculum in the state of Meghalaya,” he said.
Pointing out that currently there is environmental sciences and not that it’s redundant, he said, “But today climate change is far more overarching than environmental science subject it is not just formal overarching it is also extremely relevant and important for our children to know.”
During the programme, the CM and the other dignitaries launched the Forest Management Plan, unveiled the Environment Day 2022 theme song, and the natural resource management mascot besides the online Community Nursery Information System.
On the occasion, the State Natural Resource Management awards were presented to the winning village committees.
The stalls and exhibitions put up by student members of the eco clubs from various city-based schools were the highlight of the day’s programme.
