In Nagaland, located within the Indo-Burma and Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspots in India, customary rights are protected under Article 371A of the Indian Constitution, and the majority of natural habitats (88.3 per cent) are owned and managed by individuals and clans overseen by village councils, district councils, and other traditional institutions. These natural habitats comprise of a mosaic of different vegetation types and can be broadly categorized as primary forests, secondary forests, agricultural land (comprising mostly of shifting cultivation and to a small extent of terrace cultivation) and plantations. However, in the absence of alternative livelihood options, most of the economic activities in the villages are based upon utilization of natural resources. This has led to deforestation, degradation of forest resources, change in land-use patterns, uncontrolled hunting as well as aggressive fishing and an illegal trade of wild flora and fauna that pose as major challenges for the local fragile ecosystems.
However in Nagaland, traditional conservation practices have helped protect biodiversity, and there are records of Community Conservation Areas (CCAs) being declared in the early 1800s, especially in response to forest degradation and loss of wildlife. Thus, the revival of traditional conservation practices through the creation of CCAs, offer hope for conservation and ecosystem resilience, as communities set aside parcels of forests within productive, shifting cultivation landscapes.
This story is from the March 2022 WSDS Special Issue: Towards A Resilient Planet (Ensuring A Sustainable And Equitable Future) edition of TerraGreen.
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This story is from the March 2022 WSDS Special Issue: Towards A Resilient Planet (Ensuring A Sustainable And Equitable Future) edition of TerraGreen.
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