Guwahati: Aaranyak, a leading biodiversity conservation organisation in the region, in collaboration with the British Asian Trust, has taken steps to assist women affected by human-elephant conflict (HEC) in the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya by providing them with yarn to enhance their livelihood opportunities.
Twenty-six women, impacted by HEC, were beneficiaries of the yarn distribution initiative, supported by the Darwin Initiative (Biodiversity Challenge Funds).
Previously, these women underwent specialised training to refine their handloom skills, facilitated by Aaranyak and the British Asian Trust, with backing from the Darwin Initiative.
The training program aimed to empower community women by improving their handloom skills, enabling them to produce high-quality goods for the market. Emphasis was placed on developing unique designs to increase product value and profitability.
Dr. Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, a senior conservation scientist at Aaranyak, expressed optimism about the initiative’s potential to economically empower marginalized women.
He emphasised that providing resources like yarn could facilitate economic independence through alternative livelihoods, ultimately contributing to community development in HEC-affected areas and fostering coexistence.
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The West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya faces persistent threats from escalating HEC, endangering both community members and wild elephants. The encroachment on elephant habitats and the expansion of agricultural land often lead to conflicts, resulting in crop raids and human casualties.
On April 3, Aaranyak dispatched a team of experts to Bordubi, led by Anjan Boruah, to engage with the community’s women. The team aimed to understand the impact of the ongoing human-elephant conflict on the community and distributed yarn to support their livelihoods.
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