Transcript Forests - Sustainable Development Forum Nagaland

SUSTAINABLE MOUNTAIN DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT:
OUTCOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS ON “FORESTS”
A COHORT OF 65
FROM AMONG THE PARTICIPANTS OF SMDS – 3, KOHIMA, NAGALAND
Theme area 02: Forests
FACILITATORS

Saroj K. Barik

Rajesh Thadani

Vengota Nakhro

Zuthonglo Patton &

Chisayi with

Sanjay Deshmukh
TOTAL NO. OF CONTRIBUTORS: 65
General issues
ISSUES RELATING TO GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING
 Earthquake prone region
 Landslides prone
 Flash floods
ISSUES RELATING TO PEOPLE
 People are simple
 Agriculture is marginal
 Ready cash not available
 Highly dependent on forest resources
Forest cover reduction: Reasons
BIOTIC
 Demand for forest products, i.e., timber, fuel, fodder, herbs
and flowers/ fruit

Free grazing

Fires


Insurgency issues
Issues of defining inter-state boundaries (that lead to
biodiversity becomes nobody’s property in disputed areas)

Encroachment for agriculture, habitation
Forest cover reduction: Reasons
ENVIRONMENTAL
 Seismic activity leading to landslides, subsidence
 Flash floods
 Fluvial erosion
 Climate change
DEVELOPMENTAL
 Dams
 Road construction
 Hydro-electric projects
 Re-defining of forest lands for development
 Mining
 Atmospheric pollution - SPM, acid rain
 Tourism
General issues
ISSUES RELATING TO LAND OWENERSHIP

Community land - managed by the village authority.

Private land

Headman as the sole land owner in some villages

Individual families owning the land

Clans ownership

Only elder brothers owning the land as in some villages
Concerns
LOCAL ISSUES RELATING TO FORESTS
 Human dependence on forests increasing

Inadequate data on natural resources inventory which is not
shared, not analysed and put to right use

Change in forest land use pattern (such as shifting agriculture,
change for cash crops, etc.)

Dilemma between “conservation” forestry and “production”
forestry while framing forest management policy

Contradiction in policies (felling of trees from community owned
forests vis-a-vis those for shifting cultivation), due to lack of
specific classification of forest types; need synchronisation

Forest Ecosystem fragmentation is taking place at rapid pace
Concerns
GLOBAL ISSUES RELATING TO FORESTS
Concerns of climate change and adaptations
 Changes in geographic distribution of flora and fauna and in
timing of seasonal events

Threat to high altitude biodiversity within forests due to
presence of security forces (presence in large numbers)

Increased frequency of extreme climate events

Challenges in access to clean energy as well as conventional
source of energy (fuelwood/ biomass)

Increase in man-animal conflict
Challenges
CHALLENGES TO FOREST MANAGEMENT
 Conservation v/s development

Ecosystem services of forests not quantified and valued

Degradation and forest loss due to development projects

Governance challenges: weakening of community institutions,
participatory forest management, etc.

Digitisation of forest boundaries

Enhancing forest quality

Upscaling of isolated success stories of traditional forest
management systems, JFM and Community Conserved Areas
(CCAs)

Codification and recognition of customary laws and practices
Strategies
STRATEGIES IN THE FORM OF ACTION POINTS

Development of a Portal for IMI

Linking forest patches to facilitate species migration
(development of corridors)

Development of threat assessment protocols and in situ
conservation models of plant species, and define conservation
strategies for medicinal and aromatic plants

Establishment of market and industrial linkages to enhance the
livelihood opportunities of local communities.

Strengthen role community organisations involved in forest
conservation and management
Strategies
STRATEGIES IN THE FORM OF ACTION POINTS
 Replication of models of “success stories” of forest
conservation and management

Promoting and facilitating clean energy technologies with
adequate energy provision for forest dependent communities

Promote diversification of livelihoods to reduce forest
dependency

Enhancing forest-based biomass production in the form of
food, fuel wood, grass/fodder, timber, bamboo, cane and
NTFPs

Integrating forest management practices in academic curricula
Policy and Governance issues
DEVEOPMENT OF POLICIES FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE
 Awareness and capacity building of stakeholders

Documentation of indigenous knowledge systems

Identification and protection of catchment areas of biodiversity
as hydrological significance

Supporting and initiating actions on payments for ecosystem
services, REDD Plus preparedness and define means for
equitable sharing of benefits with the communities out of the
incentives/ awards

Governance with regard to streamlining Forest Policies and
Laws thereby bringing transparency in Forest Acts and Rules
Thank you so much!