Guwahati: A two-day Learning and Experience Sharing Workshop on Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) was held on March 11-12 at Hotel Acacia in Dimapur, bringing together community leaders, conservation practitioners and government representatives to reflect on 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), and project partners such as the Nagaland Empowerment of People through Energy Development (NEPeD) and the Department of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (DEFCC). Facilitating agencies were also present. The gathering served as an important platform for communities to share experiences, reflect on conservation practices, and strengthen governance mechanisms for CCAs across 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 emphasised that biodiversity conservation does not have jurisdictional limits 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, noting that the programme aimed to capture and document the experiences and learnings of community stakeholders.
Tokugha Sumi, Vice Chairman of NCCAF, shared the journey of the forum and highlighted the role of community networks in promoting conservation initiatives across Nagaland.
The inaugural session also included a welcome address by Sristy Chetry from FES, while Chenibemo Odyuo delivered the vote of thanks, acknowledging the participation of community representatives, partner organisations and institutions for their continued commitment to strengthening community-led conservation efforts.
The workshop featured a series of 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 faced in conservation efforts, and identified strategies that have helped strengthen community-led governance systems.
Group discussions and participatory exercises, anchored by Yaranajit Deka, Suhas K. S., and Deepashree Maledavar from FES, enabled participants to explore key themes such as adaptive strategies for forest management, institutional strengthening, collaboration among CCAs, and mechanisms for improving coordination and support systems. The sessions 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. Organisers said the insights generated during the workshop would contribute to strengthening community-led biodiversity governance across Nagaland.
The programme concluded with closing remarks by Imlikumba Jamir from FES.
Organisers noted that platforms such as this workshop are crucial for enabling communities to learn from one another, strengthen institutional capacities, and sustain conservation efforts rooted in traditional knowledge and collective stewardship.