Dimapur, March 13 (MExN): A two-day Learning and Experience Sharing Workshop on Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) was held on March 11–12 at Hotel Acacia, Dimapur, bringing together community leaders, conservation practitioners and government representatives to discuss community-led forest and biodiversity conservation efforts across Nagaland.
The workshop was jointly organised by the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), the Nagaland State Biodiversity Board (NSSB), the Forest and Biodiversity Management in the Himalaya Nagaland Project (FBMP), and The Nature Conservancy Centre (TNCC).
Around 60 participants attended the workshop, including representatives from 13 cluster Community Conserved Areas, members of the Nagaland Community Conserved Areas Forum (NCCAF), project partners including Nagaland Empowerment of People through Energy Development (NEPeD) and the Department of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (DEFCC), and facilitating agencies.
According to the organisers, the gathering provided a platform for communities to share experiences, reflect on conservation practices and discuss governance mechanisms for CCAs in the state.
Delivering the keynote address, Sidramappa M. Chalkapure, IFS, Member Secretary of the Nagaland State Biodiversity Board and Project Director of FBMP, highlighted the importance of coexistence between humans and wildlife. He said biodiversity conservation does not have a jurisdictional limit and encouraged communities to document their natural resources through the People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR). He also stressed the need to safeguard wildlife corridors to enable the safe movement of species across landscapes.
Earlier, in the inaugural session, Sanjay Sharma, Regional Head of FES, provided the context of the workshop and said that “the workshop will capture and document the learnings and experiences of the community.”
Tokugha Sumi, Vice Chairman of NCCAF, shared the journey of the forum and spoke on the role of community networks in promoting conservation initiatives across Nagaland.
The session included a welcome address by Sristy Chetry from FES, while Chenibemo Odyuo from FES delivered the vote of thanks and acknowledged the participation of community representatives, partner organisations and institutions for their continued commitment to strengthening community-led conservation efforts.
The workshop featured interactive sessions where representatives from CCAs reflected on their experiences in forest and biodiversity management over the past five years. Participants shared best practices, discussed challenges in conservation efforts and identified strategies that have helped strengthen community-led governance systems.
Group discussions and participatory exercises were anchored by Yaranajit Deka, Suhas K S and Deepashree Maledavar from FES. The sessions explored themes including adaptive strategies for forest management, institutional strengthening, collaboration among CCAs and mechanisms for improving coordination and support systems. Discussions also highlighted the growing role of women in conservation leadership within community institutions.
The workshop concluded with a synthesis session outlining key learnings and future directions for strengthening CCAs, with organisers stating that the insights generated during the programme would contribute to strengthening community-led biodiversity governance across Nagaland.
Closing remarks were delivered by Imlikumba Jamir from FES. Organisers said that platforms such as the workshop enable communities to learn from one another, strengthen institutional capacities and sustain conservation efforts rooted in traditional knowledge and collective stewardship.
