PASIGHAT, 12 Apr: Community leaders and conservationists from across Arunachal Pradesh have initiated the formation of the first statewide platform to unify community-led biodiversity protection efforts, marking a significant step in the state’s grassroots conservation movement.
The decision was taken at a two-day workshop at the Central Agricultural University here in East Siang district, where participants agreed on the formation of the proposed Arunachal Pradesh State Community Led Conservation Forum and appointed an interim working group to work out the modalities of the forum over the next few months.
The proposed body seeks to bring together community conserved areas (CCAs) and other community-led conservation initiatives under a common platform for advocacy, policy engagement and knowledge-sharing at the state level.
Participants said the move would transform scattered local conservation efforts into a collective force,capable of influencing biodiversity policy and strengthening environmental governance in the state.
Speaking on the opening day, Elopa Etugu Community Eco-Cultural Preserve (EECEP) founder Jibi Pulu emphasised the importance of a collective approach.
Pulu said that the meeting brought people together at a state level for the first time, indicating a positive shift in community engagement, and expressed hope for continued gatherings under the aegis of the forum.
WWF-India’s Himalayas Programme Head Dr Rishi Kumar Sharma described the meeting as an opportunity for communities in Arunachal to come together and work with similar forums across the region to promote community-led conservation.
During the meeting, members of the Elopa Etugu Community Eco-Cultural Preserve (EECEP) highlighted the use of camera traps to monitor wildlife species, saying that camera traps have reported around 41 species in the CCA, and emphasised the importance of preserving nature and culture.
The discussion also covered research on ecology, flora and fauna and community livelihoods for long-term management of conservation areas.
Jambey Gyaltsen of the Thembang Bapu CCA spoke on the challenges of balancing conservation with economic needs, highlighting the use of camera trapping and the installation of low-cost electric fencing to reduce negative interaction between humans and wildlife. He also touched on the impact of commercial agriculture and tourism, and on the need to promote eco and community-based tourism, and the importance of sustainable agriculture.
Chajo Lowang of Green Tirap said that their efforts are aimed at raising awareness in New Tupi, and that plans are underway to expand the campaign to neighbouring areas. “The conservation initiative is new to the community and faces some challenges, but there is hope for a positive response,” Lowang said, and emphasised the role of community leaders in facilitating the CCA.
The 22-member interim working group has been given six months to draft the forum’s bylaws, governance structure and membership framework,and to present it to a larger gathering for consideration and endorsement at the end of their tenure.
Ranju Dodum and Dimum Pertin were appointed as convenor and co-convenor of the interim working group.
Also embedded within the interim working group is an advisory panel, comprising representatives from Kalpavriksh, WWF-India, ATREE, Nature Conservation Foundation, Green Hub and senior local conservation figures.
Speaking to the media, Hranglung Lungalang, chairman of the Nagaland Community Conserved Areas Forum, urged Arunachal to act before ecological degradation accelerates.
“Arunachal’s forest cover is vast, but people are not always aware that conservation is urgent. In Nagaland, we realised the need only after many areas were already depleted. By starting now, Arunachal can save what it has before it’s too late,” he said.
Participants stressed that conservation must be positioned as part of sustainable development, rather than in opposition to it.
“When people hear the word ‘conservation’, they often think it means stopping development. That is not the objective. The goal is sustainable development – ensuring that infrastructure, livelihoods and ecological integrity progress together,” said interim convenor Dodum.
A digital portal documenting conservation areas, biodiversity records, and project profiles is also planned as part of the initiative.
Initial support for the process of forum-building will be provided by WWF-India, ATREE, Kalpavriksh and Green Hub, while Rajiv Gandhi University has offered to host future meetings of the interim working group and, later on, the forum.
Participants said the initiative could reshape biodiversity governance in the state by giving local conservation groups a unified voice in policy and environmental decision-making.
