HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, April 8: Aaranyak, the region’s premier biodiversity conservation organisation, at the request of the Assam Forest School, Jalukbari, organised an exposure program at the Chandrasing Rongpi Community Resource Centre (CRC) in Kohora, Karbi Anglong, for foresters engaged in two north-eastern states.
The event was attended by 31 Grade I foresters, comprising 25 officials from Assam and 6 officials from Sikkim. They learned how to work with the forest-dependent Karbi community in Kaziranga and Karbi Anglong landscapes.
The aim of the event was to provide insight into community engagement, natural resource management and conservation, alternative sustainable livelihood (ASL), principles, and approaches of community-based eco-culture tourism with reference to Kohora River Basin experiments.
An orientation session led by Aaranyak team members first introduced the organisation’s interventions and showcased its conservation initiatives and livelihood interventions such as Journey for Learning and PIRBI. These efforts aim to conserve nature, wildlife, and promote sustainable livelihoods among the Karbi community in correspondence with their cultural and traditional beliefs related to nature.
The visit included a tour of the PIRBI store, a community collective business based at Kohora, Kaziranga, which provided insight into the role community-based enterprises play in conservation and community development. The event’s objective was to foster a collaborative relationship between Aaranyak and forest officials, promoting mutual understanding and support for conservation efforts in the region.
The orientation and tour of the PIRBI store not only provided valuable insights into community-based enterprises but also strengthened the bond between Aaranyak and the forest officials.
