The Revised Nagaland State Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan (NSBSAP) was launched by Minister, Forests, Environment & Climate Change, Nagaland, Y. M. Yollow Konyak during the celebration of International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) 2022 held at RCEMPA, Jotsoma on 20th May 2022. The programme was organised by the Nagaland State Biodiversity Board (NSSB) and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to commemorate the adoption of 22nd May as International Day for Biological Diversity, under the theme ‘Building a shared future for all life.’
Counsellor, Head of Environmental Affairs, German Embassy, New Delhi, Dr. Antje C. Berger addressing the gathering stated that biodiversity remains the key answer to several sustainable development challenges. With two of the world’s 36 Biodiversity Hotspots present in Northeastern region, and Nagaland located in the Indo Burma biodiversity hotspot, she stated that the launch of the revised NBSAP is a step towards maintaining the unique landscape and management. With agriculture responsible for 70% of biodiversity loss, and with 52% of agriculture area affected by degradation caused by inappropriate production method, she stated that the ‘Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Agrarian Landscapes (IKI-Biodev)’ project aims to boost knowledge on increasing biodiversity and sustainable use of ecosystem and agriculture, and the project proved that agriculture practices can have positive effects in biodiversity and the ecosystem especially in Nagaland.
Dr. Berger stated that shifting cultivation has the potential to promote biodiversity and ecosystem services, improve agriculture production and resilience to climate change. The project generated awareness and strengthened the capacity of jhum optimization and intensification measures while ensuring food and livelihood securities of farmers. It engaged in constant exchange between practitioners, scientists, academia and policy makers, with the deepest knowledge found in the communities of the most vulnerable. The project will come to an end by November 2022 of this year and a new project on Protection and Sustainable Management of Aquatic Resources in Northeastern Himalayan Region of India will be undertaken in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland.
Farhad Vania, GIZ India in his address shared that GIZ has been in Nagaland for over a decade, and has been working with Nagaland in biodiversity areas. He stated that with biodiversity and climate change issues becoming more complex so have the search for solutions, and some of this now are of global importance. He said that it is not possible for one country to try and resolve by itself the problems, there is need for international cooperation and so recently a Cabinet Consultation of Head of States was held where Prime Minister, Narendra Modi met Chancellor, Germany, Olaf Scholz on 2nd May 2022 and entered into Indo-German Green and Sustainable Development Partnership which has all the content for future development and gives direction especially in Sustainable Development Goals.
The Department of Environment Forests & Climate Change, Government of Nagaland, jointly with Centre for Environmental Studies, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong had prepared the State Level Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP) of Nagaland in 2005. NSSB in collaboration with GIZ undertook the task to update and revise the BSAP of Nagaland according to the five strategic goals and the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets, the National Biodiversity Targets as well as the local realities and conservation scenario within the State of Nagaland. The Revised Nagaland BSAP was supported by the global project under the Indo-German development cooperation project ' Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Agrarian Landscapes (IKI-Biodiv)' implemented by GIZ and commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection.
The revised plan includes the identification of twelve new Biodiversity Targets for the State. The timeline for achieving these targets have been kept at five years with 2026 being the cut off year when it will be evaluated again.
(Nouneseno, IA)
