Shillong: Blessed with pristine waterfalls and rolling meadows, Meghalaya- the abode of clouds is home to the indigenous people with a deep connection with nature. The state is home to many wildlife species, including rare species like the clouded leopard, the state animal.
The state’s natural wealth is often taken for granted, with rapid urbanisation, deforestation, and unregulated mining threatening its delicate environment. Another setback is that the land is owned by a clan, community, or individuals, often leading to massive damage to the ecosystem. Jhum cultivation has been one of the age-old practices of the indigenous people here.
Across the globe, awareness programs are conducted, and people are informed about the effects of climate change, biodiversity conservation and others.
The Meghalaya Biodiversity Board (MBB) has constituted 6,484 Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) at the village level and urban local bodies.
Role of Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC)
According to Stevia Kharmalki, Admin officer of the Meghalaya Biodiversity Board, she explained that one of the main functions of the Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) is to prepare the People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) in consultation with local people.
“The Register shall contain comprehensive information on the local biological resources, their medicinal or any other use or any other traditional knowledge associated with them,” mentioned Kharmalki.
The PBR should serve as a component of the knowledge base for conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of biodiversity benefits. It should also aid the maintenance and prudent management of ecosystems such as forests, rivers, lakes, grasslands, ponds etc.
“This will enhance public awareness, sustainable use, and equitable sharing of benefits of biodiversity and catalyse grassroots action,” added the officer.
Pormawlai Village: A beacon of hope for conservation
One shining example of community-led conservation efforts in Meghalaya is Pormawlai village, located in the West Khasi Hills district. This remote village, with a population of around 230 people, was once heavily dependent on traditional farming practices, including shifting cultivation.
Pormawlai village is about 4 kilometres from the National Highway 127B connected through an off-road.
Rapthap Ryntong, the headman of Pormawlai, informed EastMojo that from 2008 till 2013, the village continuously did traditional farming. This led to the drying up of water sources and changes in the weather pattern.
“Due to a lack of knowledge, we did not value our natural resources. In 2013, we faced a lot of difficulties. We had to fetch water 300 meters from the village since most natural water sources dried up. After I took charge as headman, I decided to make a few changes,” mentioned the village headman.
They witnessed challenges to the extent that they had to travel from the village to wash their clothes and bathe, ending up with skin rash and other diseases. The water they used for bathing was also used by fishermen outside the village to fish. Chemicals were used for fishing and many other unhygienic activities were carried out by people living in the adjoining villages like Umdang.
In 2013, the community decided to preserve this particular Riangdo River as a fish sanctuary, now called Ksap Mawlein. The community also restricted the cutting of trees or any other activity like hunting or poaching that would endanger the environment. Animals like deer, wild boar, cats, and monkeys, were commonly seen in the nearby forest but due to several activities, they became nearly extinct. “Deforestation caused all the wild animals to abandon the forest,” mentioned Ryntong.
Collaboration and Support for Biodiversity Conservation
Gradually the community saw an improvement. Ryntong recalled that officials from the wildlife department visited their village to help them with the damage incurred by wild elephants. “They offered to work together which we did. They gave us funds for squad patrolling and provided us Rs 10, 0000 and we were given uniforms, torches, shoes etc,” recalled Ryntong.
The village then started working with other departments of the state govt as well and funds started coming in. Some initiative was like the MEGH-LAMP a natural resources management.
In 2016 the BMC was formed with 10 members from the village.
“We didn’t have much knowledge what was exactly was BMC but we completed the formalities…we received funds from the BMC which was used to set up a nursery to preserve different species,” mentioned Ryntong.
Awareness programs were also carried out about the ramifications of hunting and poaching.
Clouded Leopard Conservation Project
The community initiatives with the help of different departments have led to the conservation of 15 hectares of land and has been notified by the government as the “Ryntong Clan and Combined Community Reserve”.
The community aims to turn this place into an eco-park. Hence the community or the Pormawlai BMC have now taken the lead to work with MBB, Indian Youth Biodiversity Network (IYBN)-Meghalaya Chapter, Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation (SWCCF), Eastern Himalayas Marbled Cat project to protect and preserve clouded leopard through long term community engagement. This project is funded by Panthera.
Dr Giridhar Malla, lead investigator for the Eastern Himalayas Marbled Cat Project and member of the Clouded Leopard Working Group, is focused on conserving clouded leopards in non-protected areas (NPA) of Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland. His role involves research, coordinating with local communities, and leading conservation efforts to address habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict.
Dr Malla explained to EastMojo that the project aims to improve knowledge of clouded leopard populations and distribution in non-protected areas(PAs), engage communities in conservation, restore critical habitats, and enhance collaborations.
“My role involves implementing, monitoring, and coordinating with local communities and forest staff, helping to analyse data on clouded leopard populations and habitat threats, and leading awareness and conservation campaigns. Additionally, my team members and I engage in capacity building through workshops and collaborate with stakeholders to develop long-term conservation strategies for clouded leopards,” Dr Malla told EastMojo.
The lead investigator also noticed that Clouded leopard conservation efforts in Meghalaya are limited, with little information available outside protected areas. Existing efforts focus mainly on protected area management, leaving a significant knowledge gap.
The project’s primary outcome is to enhance the understanding of clouded leopard distribution and population in non-protected areas in Meghalaya through community involvement. This involves identifying threats and mitigation strategies, increasing community participation and awareness in conservation, and improving collaboration among stakeholders, including forest departments, wildlife boards, etc. The project also involves restoring degraded habitats and corridors critical for clouded leopard survival in non-PA’s.
The Clouded leopards in Meghalaya face threats from: Habitat loss/fragmentation, lack of community awareness and retaliatory killings.
Local communities are the main stakeholders in this project.
“Involving and bringing together multiple stakeholders can create a major behaviour shift in understanding the importance of clouded leopards. Our recent clouded leopard statue unveiling in Pormawalai is one example of how bringing all the BMCs together will create a major impact on the communities. Through our project we try to bring alternative livelihoods which will decrease the pressure on the forests and the species in general,” added the lead investigator of the project.
Joanica Delicia Jyrwa, a State Coordinator of the Indian Youth Biodiversity Network-Meghalaya Chapter has been in constant touch with the BMC from Pormawlai village. Jyrwa has travelled along with the villagers to set up camera traps for this very project.
IYBN is a part of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network. “In our network, we, the youths, strive to learn, create awareness, implement and work on biodiversity conservation-related matters,” mentioned Jyrwa.
Relating to the agenda of this project, Jyrwa said that this species is vulnerable as per IUCN status and takes pride in mentioning that it is the state animal of Meghalaya.
“However, in my field experiences and interactions with communities, almost no one is aware of it. I always casually ask people I interact with on the field. Who is the state animal? Almost none can answer, it is almost always the blank look. Locals who know the species by itself, are often indifferent to it. So the agenda is simple, attention and awareness precede conservation. Also, Clouded leopards are considered good indicators of a healthy forest,” Jyrwa added.
IYBT hopes to enhance conservation efforts for this beautiful, elusive wildcat through long-term community involvement, and collaborative support from the government, and other external agencies.
Jyrwa believes clouded leopard conservation in non-protected areas requires collective community commitment. “Proactive engagement empowers communities to own conservation efforts, prohibiting poaching, promoting awareness, and adopting sustainable practices. Pormawlai BMC’s community-led conservation model demonstrates the impact of local investment in conservation outcomes,” added Jyrwa.
Challenges in Clouded Leopard conservation
Senior scientist at the Meghalaya Biodiversity Board, Dr S Dey, explained to EastMojo that the role of the Board is to guide them and make them aware of preserving their biodiversity. The Board is often tasked with forming BMCs in urban areas, they find some members cooperative or the opposite.
The board has often observed that most communities are willing to work with them unless there’s something in it. Local Biodiversity Funds are provided, and funds/financial assistance sanctioned for BMC should be routed and saved in this fund. The BMC will have to strictly keep a separate account ensuring that it is not mixed with other funds for the Village Councils and other local bodies.
Pormawlai headman mentioned that there is a section in the community that doesn’t cooperate as they expect those funds to be divided among the community. “We have challenges with fellow villagers who don’t want to work together or want a share of the money. But we take our roles very seriously and are dedicated to preserving biodiversity. We have been instructed the funds are meant for specific purposes and we keep a record of the expenses. We have also encountered challenges wherein fellow villagers have poisoned the fish sanctuary but that does not deter us from our mission,” mentioned Ryntong.
MBB officer expresses the need for communities to make BMC a top priority. She felt that the biodiversity and the forest department could not do all the conservation work in the state.
“For conservation, the people at the grassroots know better: the main resources in their village. We from the board are here to support and advise them but the main actors are the BMC,” added Kharmalki.
Kharmalki emphasised that people are not aware of the importance of biodiversity and that only areas or people passionate about nature will come forward to seek information on how to protect their area.
“If they don’t benefit from conservation work they will not come forward also …so that’s one challenge that we face.. and it is hard to support 6000 BMCs. Hence there is a convergence of projects with several institutions like in this project it is with Panthera,” added Kharmalki.
The board is hopeful that the willingness to conserve and protect nature will come from within.
Dr S Dey mentioned that once learnt that clouded leopards are detected; they will guide the BMC to make guidelines and to monitor the area. The BMCs have legal power to regulate the area’s biodiversity and can fine the hunter or take them to the police for necessary actions.
The recent awareness conducted by the board has brought positive impacts. A resident of Khwad, East Khasi Hills District, recently surrendered his hunting rifle.
“North-East India’s rich cultural heritage has protected habitats for centuries, but declining forests and species threaten this legacy. Our project aims to support sustainable resource management, identify sacred sites, and promote clouded leopards as a cultural icon to conserve this critical species,” mentioned Dr Giridhar Malla.
Pormawlai village’s journey from environmental degradation to successful community-led conservation is a testament to the power of local action in preserving biodiversity.
Through the efforts of the village’s BMC, along with support from government bodies and conservation organizations, the community has been able to protect its natural resources and restore local ecosystems.
The village’s commitment to preserving Meghalaya’s biodiversity offers a hopeful example for other communities facing similar environmental challenges. With continued collaboration and awareness, it is clear that nature can thrive when communities take the lead in conservation.
This story has been published as part of the AIPP-EastMojo Fellowship 2024
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