By H.H. Mohrmen
The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) stated that Meghalaya lost over 84 sq. km of forest cover between 2021 and 2023. This raises a very important question: what happened to our forests? With due apologies to Pete Seeger, the country song singer, and borrowing from his popular song, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” the million-dollar question is: where have all the forests in the state gone? Why, does forest cover in the state keep disappearing in spite of all the government’s efforts to protect forests owned by communities, clan’s and individuals to conserve the environment? Why, in spite of the government introducing numerous projects to plant trees to regenerate Meghalaya, yet the forests keep disappearing from the state?
Forest and PES
Everywhere the Chief Minister goes, he talks about this innovative scheme that the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government has introduced. In a state like Meghalaya, where much of the land is owned either by individuals or the community, this indeed is a very innovative and not a run-of-the-mill scheme, and a very unique project at that. Again, because most of the land is owned by communities, clans, or even private individuals, it is a brilliant idea to encourage people to protect and preserve the forest.
The Chief Minister claimed that the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), which pays individuals or the community for conserving forests, is the only scheme of its kind in the entire country. The Chief Minister has also claimed that 54,000 hectares of land are now covered under PES Phase 1 and that the government has paid over Rs 42 crore to communities and individuals just to keep the forests.
The Government has now launched GREEN+ Meghalaya, said to be a grassroots-level response to Ecosystem Enhancement and Nurturing Meghalaya. Financial support of Rs 20,000 per hectare is going to be provided to villages, communities, clans, or individuals willing to conserve forests under the PES model. The most important question is: isn’t it a fact that this project starts and ends with the government transferring money from the public exchequer to community bank accounts without the two having any other engagement at all? Does the village even have an active biodiversity management committee (BMC) and do we even have a biodiversity register (PBR) of the plot under PES?
The Government’s effort needs to be lauded, but one also needs to look at what the data says. As the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Contrary to the government’s claim, the ISFR report says otherwise, and the government needs to ask itself the difficult question: in spite of the efforts, where have the forests disappeared?
The PES is, in fact, a one year old project introduced by the government to encourage the communities, clans and even individuals to protect the forests and conserve the environment. The Forest Department has implemented many schemes to plant forests across the entire state. The question that begs an answer is: what happened to the trees planted? We also need to ask ourselves: where have the trees gone?
Forest Departments and Tree Plantation
World Environment Day celebrations in the state are incomplete without a symbolic tree plantation program. At one point in time, the Government even claimed to have planted one million trees during the celebration. Not only during WED celebrations, but it has now become a fashion to plant trees to observe any event or celebrate an occasion.
Various government departments, like the Soil Conservation Department, are also engaged in different projects to conserve nature, and some components of these projects include tree plantation. One such project is the Watershed Project implemented by the Soil Conservation Department, and even now, as we write this column, the Department is working on a conservation project supported by the Asian Development Bank.
Thousands of trees were also planted by Village Employment Committees (VECs) of different communities in the state through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The Government, through the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA), has also implemented a project called the Community-Led Landscape Management Program (CLLAMP), which involves communities in planting trees and conserving the environment. The question is: has there been any audit conducted to find out what happened to all the trees that were planted?
Similar to PES, the state forestry department also implemented a scheme supported by the Central government, which encourages communities to conserve the existing forests, called the Community Reserve Forests, and many sacred groves are included in this project. The CR as the project is commonly called is one successful project of the government.
One successful story of the project is the case of Raid Chyrmang’s sacred forest and it is one story that needs to be highlighted. Accompanying my daughter on her research for her Master’s dissertation, we learned that the conservation was so successful that we now have animal-human conflict in the area. Deer have started to multiply, and in some cases, they have damaged the crops and plants of the local residents. The case is also successful because tradition is empowered by modern law. The headman said that before the implementation of the project, there was a gradual decrease in people’s respect for tradition to protect the sacred forest, but the Community Reserve gives the community more power to preserve and conserve the forest. This is a classic case of how traditions and modern laws help improve the conservation of sacred forests.
Reasons the Government’s Efforts Failed
The answer to the question “Where have all the forests gone?” is not blowing in the wind, but lies in the fact that the Government has never really taken the time to study, analyze, and understand the factors leading to the failure of these interventions. Many factors play a role in the disappearance of forests, and most government officials involved in implementing such projects know this very well.
Target-Oriented and Time-Bound Projects
Government projects are often target-oriented and time-bound, prioritizing completing tasks over ensuring long-term success. Reports focus on achieving targets within deadlines, leaving no room for follow-up or replacing saplings lost to mortality.
Another factor that led to the failure of these projects is the lack of community engagement. While implementing the project, the government departments only engaged the headman of the village and the Executive Committee of the shnong, at best. There was little or no community engagement and the general public was not even aware of the project hence there is lack of ownership among the public which led to its failure. To ensure the success of the project, the need of the hour is for the Government to engage with communities at different levels.
Forest Fires (Thang Lum/Thang Khloo)
Forest fires are a significant cause of the failure of tree plantation projects. Despite efforts to create firebreaks and prepare plantations for the dry season, fires continue to destroy newly planted trees, standing forests, and biodiversity. Why do people start fires to burn the forest? Initially, the argument was that forest fires were a traditional practice, purposely started by people, particularly cow herders. The fire was supposedly started to help the grass leaves sprout and grow faster, providing new grass for the animals to feed on. However, this claim lacks scientific basis and instead depletes soil nutrients and kills beneficial microbes. Fires are also caused by irresponsible people who, for no rhyme or reason, light a fire, or by picnickers and smokers whose acts of negligence ignite the fire.
To address this, community-led conservation efforts should be expanded and community is engage vigorously in the different activities. Protection of sacred groves, community forests under CR, and community fish sanctuaries promoted by the Fisheries Department offer valuable lessons. The Government should incentivize communities that prevent forest fires or illegal fishing while implementing strict penalties for such activities.
Cattle Grazing
Cattle’s grazing is another significant factor undermining tree plantation efforts. Livelihood activities involving animal rearing often result in saplings being eaten. In the future any tree plantation plans must include strategies to address this issue.
Broom Grass Cultivation
Broom grass cultivation is another major contributor to deforestation. A recent trek to the canyon of the River Umngot near Samanong village revealed slopes once covered with thick forests, now replaced by broom grass. While this crop serves as an important livelihood for some, it has undeniably become a leading cause of loss of forest cover. The Government also needs to come up with an alternative to cultivation of broom grass to prevent further loss of forest cover.
Conclusion
The Government must re-evaluate its strategies for forest conservation, focusing on sustained community engagement and addressing critical issues such as forest fires, cattle grazing, and the spread of broom grass cultivation. Only by adopting a holistic approach can Meghalaya hope to reverse the trend of deforestation and restore its verdant landscape.