Dimapur: The second India Biodiversity Awards were announced on occasion of International Day for Biological Diversity at the ceremony in Port Blair, the Andaman & Nicobar held on May 22.
Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC) of Old Jalukie village has been selected for India Biodiversity Award 2014 under the co-management category recognizing outstanding efforts by government-supported community institutions such as Joint Forest Management and Eco-development committees to govern biodiversity and received one lakh cash prize. Peren Forest Division, Nagaland Forest Department has nominated Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC) of Old Jalukie village for India Biodiversity Awards 2014 under co-management category for dedicated effort rendered by the community of Old Jalukie for conserving and protection of community forest.
Old Jalukie community biodiversity reserve was locally declared by a village council resolution way back in 1986 and later signed a MoU for managing under Joint Forest Management with Nagaland Forest Department on June 15, 2012, which stands tall as one pioneering community conservation initiatives in the region. Nagaland Forest department has supported the Joint forest Management committee of Old Jalukie Community conservation reserve.
M Lokeswara Rao, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force in a press release has congratulated the chairman and members of the Joint forest Management committee and village community of old Jalukie community conservation area and officials of the Forest department and District administration for their dedication in conserving the community forests collectively.
The India Biodiversity Awards 2014 received 150 nominations from across the country through a well-publicized call for nominations. The nominations represented diverse and innovative approaches to governing biodiversity. The seven-member jury chaired by Prof. M. S. Swaminathan arrived at a shortlist of 13. Desk review was followed by on-site visits to assess these individual models based on parameters including effectiveness of biodiversity conservation, benefits to local communities and institutional sustainability.
The India Biodiversity Awards instituted by Ministry of Environment and Forests, and the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), recognizes outstanding models of biodiversity governance and importantly the central role played by communities that are at the heart of any effort to conserve biodiversity.
