Shillong, March 30: A one day consultative workshop on Community Led Landscape Management Project (CLLMP) for Garo Hills region was held on 28th March, 2017 at SMELC Building, Dakopgre, West Garo Hills, Tura. The workshop was organised by the State Project Management Unit of MBDA in collaboration with District Administration West Garo Hills and IBDLP units, Garo Hills.
The consultative programme was attended by various stakeholders comprising of administrators, community groups, SHGs, federations, Nokmas, VECs, JFMCs, water users etc. besides representatives from line departments, BDOs and individuals from the districts of Garo Hills.
Delivering his keynote address, Daniel J Ingty, OSD MBDA & Director (NRM), Garo Hills informed that the consultative workshop is being organised with an objective to invite public consultations with community participation and involvement from various stakeholders towards the CLLMP project design to the project implementation.
While addressing the gathering, Pravin Bakshi, Deputy Commissioner, West Garo Hills, and Chairman IBDLP expressed that World Bank funded project CLLMP anticipate strong community participation for the success of the project. He said that the region’s rivers, land, forest and bio-diversity existence is prime and thus it has to be duly protected with the fast changing pace of the man’s demand. Keeping the community participation as the prominent focal point, he cited several examples of community led activities in Garo Hills and opined that the community in the state and Garo Hills in particular has enormous affinity and is knitted traditionally. Mr. Bakshi also stated that for speedy development and progress of the region, convergence is the optimistic tool. He also stressed upon how convergence with existing projects can be dove tailed for multiplier growth and better deliverables and further emphasized on proper usage of natural resources, aquatic and bio-diversity in the balanced manner.
It may be mentioned that the Community Led Landscape Management Project (CLLMP) is a World Bank funded project with an approach to strengthen community led natural resource management in different landscapes in Meghalaya. The major components of the project will focus on strengthening of knowledge and capacity of communities for improved NRM; landscape planning and investment (IVDPs) and Project Management- Best management practices, social and environmental safeguards.
Briefing on the presentation of CLLMP, Mr. V. Valentine Hembrom, District Project Manager, IBDLP/MeghaLAMP West Garo Hills informed the stakeholders about Community Led Landscape Management Project its approach and objectives, components, targets and timeline, funding pattern, project management structures, actionable activities and the deliverables from the project. He also added the design component of climate change and its mitigation approaches in the project implementation phases.
Interactive discussion with the stakeholders was facilitated by Mr. Daniel Ingty, wherein proactive participation was endorsed. Valuable feedback and expectations from the CLLMP project was also shared and documented. There was also a sharing from community groups and Nokmas who had come from various parts of Garo Hills. Representation from the line department district heads, BDOs and other stakeholders were also made during the interactive session.
