Community-based conservation (CBC) is an approach to biodiversity conservation wherein local communities are involved in the preservation, protection, and management of local biodiversity. In recent times, CBC has considerably increased in popularity because of its integrative approach towards addressing the needs of human welfare as well as biodiversity welfare. A majority of conservation projects now incorporate local communities as stakeholders and prioritize community engagement for the success of their projects.
In fact, certain CBC projects in India are doing a tremendous job at sustaining their rare and endangered flora and fauna while providing livelihood security to local communities. Notably, North-East Indian states such as Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Assam have become the frontrunners for community led conservation projects.
Here are India’s 5 leading community-based conservation projects that deserve some recognition –
1.) Mangrove Forest Conservation
Mangroves are a group of trees or shrubs found along the Indian coastlines that flourish in low oxygen soil. They have special adaptations that allow them to grow under harsh environments.
Mangrove forests are crucial for maintaining livelihood security to coastal communities. They provide 70 ecosystem services and aid in climate change mitigation. Despite its significance, mangroves are currently under major threat due to over-exploitation and rise in sea levels. To combat this, mangrove reforestation efforts were initiated across several coastal states including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal, and Karnataka.
State governments and research institutions have collaborated with local communities for the planning, implementation and monitoring of mangrove restoration efforts. The project focuses on capacity building, leadership training, mangrove sylviculture training and equal gender representation within communities. Reforestation process involves local people digging shallow canals for tidal water flow facilitation in degraded areas to reduce soil salinity and planting saplings along these canals.
Thanks to the major efforts made by coastal communities, approximately 2,025 ha of degraded mangroves have been restored in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Maharashtra. In addition to providing alternate livelihood opportunities, the project was able to create a sense of autonomy and ownership for these communities.
2.) Bugun liocichla Conservation
Bugun liocichla is an endangered passerine bird species endemic to Arunachal Pradesh. The species’ wild population is estimated to be around 50-249 individuals.
Discovered in 2006 in a forest area outside the Eagle Nest Wildlife Sanctuary, this bird has been named after the indigenous Bugun tribe from Singchung village that reside outside the sanctuary. The tribe consists of approximately 20,000 people who are playing a major role in its conservation.
Initially, the forest area was proposed to be a viable place for ecotourism by researcher Ramana Athreya to create socioeconomic security of communities and potentially conserve the endangered biodiversity. The venture was designed to be managed by the community and ended up being a success.
Years later, the area was granted legal protection as a community reserve in 2017. The Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve (SBVCR) now covers an area of 17 sq km and is home to several other rare and endangered species including red pandas, Himalayan black bears, Asian elephants, Asiatic wild dogs, and the golden cat among others. The establishment of this community led conservation project has transformed the lives of local communities and its biodiversity alike.
The ecotourism business has contributed to alternative livelihoods as a great source of revenue for local individuals. Furthermore, communities started developing positive attitudes towards the sustainable use of ecosystem services. Through educational outreach, group discussions and collaboration, the communities dedicated themselves to preserve the habitat of bulbul liocichla.
Today, the community reserve has an active patrol team of 8 Bugun men trained by the Tamil Nadu Special Task Force who patrol the reserve daily to prevent hunting, logging or other illegal activities.
An area previously rampant with hunting and timber extraction is today a successful case study for community-based conservation. The reserve is now entirely run by the Bugun community and generates an annual revenue of around 5 million rupees (60,000 $). As a recognition for its efforts in conservation, the project received an India Biodiversity Award in 2018 as well as a Responsible Tourism Award and Sustainable Champions Award in 2023.
3.) Khasi Hills Community REDD+ Project
About 80% of Meghalaya’s forests are owned by indigenous communities who used traditional practices to manage and conserve the forests. This is especially true for Khasi Hills, a lush mountain region with sacred forests, waterfalls, and hot springs. Here, the communities’ religious beliefs, customs, and folklore have been tightly interwoven with nature for centuries.
The Khasi Hill community forests have been discovered to have 1,300 variety of plant species, 400 of which are either rare of endangered. Based on ownership, significance and types of services provided, the area has been categorized into village forests, community reserves and sacred forests.
Several anthropogenic activities including mining, timber and fuelwood extraction, grazing and shifting cultivation have resulted in the forests undergoing severe threats of deforestation and degradation in the past. The forest lands have also been fragmented into forest patches. Initiated in 2007, the Khasi Hills Community REDD+ project aims to protect and restore 27,000 ha of cloud forests in addition to preservation of the sacred groves and watersheds. The project is one of its kind and has been named as India’s first carbon offset project.
Ten indigenous Khasi governments along with 62 villages are the primary stakeholders for this project. It involves capacity building, women-run self-help groups, project profiling of villages, as well as regular household socio-economic surveys to ensure the progress of local beneficiaries in parallel with the project itself. In 2011, the project recognized its management under Ka Synjuk Ki Hima Arliang Wah Umiam Mawphlang Welfare Society.
In the last decade, the project has seen considerable improvement of forest cover and in the livelihoods of the indigenous communities. They aim to make further progress with time and potentially replicate the conservation interventions in the other parts of North-East India involving the 240 tribal communities.
4.) Olive Ridley Turtle (ORT) Community Conservation
Listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List, the olive ridley turtle is one of the five marine turtles that visit the West Coast beaches of India. Poaching, native and non-native predators threaten the survival of this species. To protect the eggs and hatchlings across Maharashtra, Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra (SNM) established the olive ridley conservation project in 2002.
By 2016, the number of nesting protected was 955 and approximately 40,000 hatchlings were released. The project is sustained via several community led efforts. Local community volunteers patrol the beach around the clock during nesting season (late January – early February) every year and aid in raising the hatcheries. Former poachers and smugglers now use their knowledge to handle and preserve the turtle eggs. This also provides seasonal employment for local individuals.
Moreover, SNM organises an annual turtle festival at Velas, which attracts thousands of visitors nationally. One integral component of the festival is how visitors get to see the turtles hatching and crawling from their nests into the sea. The festival creates several employment opportunities and revenue for the communities.
In 2016 alone, the festival was able to generate a revenue of 7.5 laks (9,000 $). This has further allowed the organisation to expand their conservation efforts through organising education awareness programs in schools, arrange self-help groups for women, and strengthen the existing volunteering base.
5.) Yaongyimchen Community Biodiversity Conservation Project
Longleng is a mountainous district located in the northern hills of Nagaland. Rampant deforestation, climate change and hunting led to extinction of the area’s wildlife species. Due to ecosystem imbalances, local communities have suffered from loss of crop productivity, decrease in water levels in rivers and streams as well as disease outbreaks.
Thus emerged the idea of a community conserved area. The Yaongyimchen Community Biodiversity Conservation Area (YCBCA) was established in 2012 and currently hosts 85 different bird species including the Amur falcon, 15 species of frogs as well as barking deers, leopards, serows, and otters.
The size of the reserve is 10 sq km and it is managed by a committee protected by Lemsachenlok organisation. Owing to efforts of the 350 households under the Phom tribe, this reserve area has seen a resurgence in hornbill and barking deer populations among several other species in the last decade.
One of the biggest achievements of this biodiversity project is the complete cessation of hunting activities in the designated area. Any form of hunting, including the use of traditional traps is completely banned in the reserve.
With a major portion of the forest dedicated to biodiversity conservation, Amur falcons have seen to start roosting in the area and the community has witnessed the largest congregation of falcons in the last few years. Furthermore, more than a million migratory raptors have been witnessed in adjacent areas. The campaign is also responsible for satellite tagging of birds for monitoring.
Due to these efforts, the project was awarded the India Biodiversity Award in 2018. Despite these note-worthy achievements, the community still faces challenges in receiving assistance for alternative livelihood projects. They urge the local government to provide alternative options to jhum cultivation as it is their main means of livelihood.
Conclusion
The success of each of these projects can be defined and observed on a variety of fronts. One project illustrates how community led conservation can restore acres of degraded land, or bring a rise in endangered species’ populations while other projects showcase a successful change in local peoples attitudes towards conservation.
Some projects have decades to show their progress and are still going strong whereas some are just getting started. Nevertheless, they exhibit the magnitude of change that can be brought about by integrating nature preservation with community prosperity.
Help us Help Them! Think Wildlife Foundation is a non profit organization with various conservation initiatives. Our most prominent campaign is our Caring for Pari intiative. Pari is a rehabilitated elephant at the Wildlife SoS Hospital. 25% of the profits from our store are donated to the elephant hospital for Pari. Other than buying our wonderful merchandise, you could donate directly to our Caring For Pari fundraiser.
Written by: Namita Nalamala