Nestled within the Eastern Himalayan Region, one of the world's 18 major biodiversity hotspots, NE India stands out as a unique and extraordinary region, rich in natural heritage. It is a treasure trove providing habitat to breath-taking biodiversity, with diverse natural landscapes, and ecological wealth. The indigenous communities of NE India have cultures, practices, traditions, festivals, and food that are deeply entwined with the region's natural resources, creating a rich tapestry of life that reflects their profound connection to the environment. These communities have extensively identified and utilized various plant species for their diverse needs, showcasing their deep ecological knowledge and understanding of the specific roles each species plays in the ecosystem.

Indigenous communities have inhabited these areas for centuries, sustainably utilizing and conserving the forest resources. But the increasing temperature of the planet has resulted in erratic and devastating effect of climate, which has particularly impacted the indigenous communities in the region. Furthermore, the growing population and the corresponding rise in resource demands are putting significant pressure on the ecosystem. This vast yet fragile ecosystem, which is home to several endemic flora and fauna, is currently facing mounting pressure of climate change, rapid urbanization, and deforestation.

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has been leading impactful conservation and restoration efforts in this ecologically rich and culturally diverse region. Committed to sustainable development, the Centre for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (CBES), alongside TERI Guwahati Centre, has been tirelessly collaborating with the Forest Department, universities, and multilateral organizations to restore land and enhance the lives and livelihoods of farmers and forest-dependent communities in the state. Some of our notable interventions in the NE region have been explained here.

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies 

In an effort to drive innovative evidence-based approach to combat climate change the CBES has undertaken a project by Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC) funded by Agence Francaise de Development (AFD). For driving sustainable forestry and biodiversity management vulnerable zones were identified for Assam leveraging RS-GIS based modelling. A state level socio-economic assessment was conducted to analyse different drivers of degradation contributing towards the vulnerability of the regions. To arrest the drivers of degradation three strategies were suggested:

Maintain and enhance green cover and vitality of forest ecosystem

Maintain, conserve, and enhance biodiversity in forest ecosystems; and

Drive socio-economic development of forest-dependent communities

Furthermore,  a measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) system was developed to track the impact of the climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies developed for Assam. The MRV developed under the project was used to conduct an extensive filed-based forest inventory with the help of TERI Guwahati Regional Centre. This was used to prepare Forest Reference Emission Level (FREL)/ Forest Reference Level (FRL). This is a key component of National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS) which provides baseline against which the emission reduction and subsequently can be used for result-based payment system.

Benefiting Communities Through Carbon Financing Mechanism

Despite clear progress in its effort to enhance the forest cover, India, continues to witness significant gaps in the on-ground implementation. The intrinsic link between forest conservation and protection, employment, and livelihood underscores the importance of integrating decentralized conservation models/frameworks for employment and sustainability. Biodiversity, intertwined with communities in an astounding multi-faced way requires complex conservation efforts which need to be treated as a collective problem. One of the major initiatives in NE India is the work on more inclusive, and community-centric forest management models. Through the collaborative approach, local communities are actively engaged in sustainable forest resource management, restoration of degraded lands, and biodiversity conservation. The indigenous groups and local communities are engaged for implementing tree plantation (including agroforestry, reforestation, and afforestation), and providing them with alternative livelihood options ensuring their resilience towards climate change. The integration of local communities in conservation governance has increased the effectiveness of conservation outcomes and ensured social justice for marginalized communities.

Carbon finance projects have become an important tool in the fight against climate change by connecting community-based conservation with livelihoods, and investments in forest protection and conservation which can translate to higher income and opportunities. The CBES has stepped in with innovative carbon finance projects in agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) sector aimed at not only increasing the carbon sequestration potential of the forests but also providing newer avenues for income generation for the local indigenous communities; thereby preserving the natural ecosystem. The different carbon finance projects being undertaken in NE includes:

a.   Empowering Communities for Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation in Zunheboto District, Nagaland

A key success story lies in the forest conservation and protection project implemented in Nagaland wherein community-conserved areas (CCAs) in Zunheboto district are being established and formalized by TERI with the help of funding from Value Network Ventures (VNV) and Conservation International (CI). The local communities (Sumi tribes) are encouraged to designate more areas as CCA's, biodiversity conservation and partake in community-based forest protection and management. In Nagaland, communities have a rich cultural heritage, and traditional indigenous knowledge (TIK). TERI has capitalized on this potential by working with the Sumi tribe to make jhum practice more sustainable. TERI has also formulated a youth-based monitoring system, wherein, local youths are engaged and employed for project monitoring. Necessary training, guidance, resources, and raising their awareness towards forest protection and conservation is also being done. These initiatives of the communities will be developed into a regulating emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) carbon finance project which will serve as a tool to generate supplementary financial resources that can be utilized for community development and the conservation of forests and biodiversity. This initiative aims to achieve multiple outcomes, including adaptation measures, enhanced carbon sequestration, and the reduction of pressure on forests. The project is currently being developed in 21 villages covering an area of 18,577 hectares, with an expected carbon sequestration potential of 5,33,520 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over 40 years.

b.   Enhancing Climate Resilience Through Agroforestry in Assam

In Assam, Baree is traditional land-use practice, mostly around the dwelling house and sometimes in isolated distant locations, where numerous diverse species are planted by the local communities, farmers, and homestead owners. These areas formed a rich biodiverse structure providing multiple social, economic, and environmental benefits. Owing to challenges such as rapid population growth, modernization, and market pressures the landowners are forgoing traditional practices of home gardens and have converted their lands to either agriculture areas, or settlements. With the attractive short-term profits from cultivating cash crops these traditional baree systems are diminishing, leading to decreased forest cover. TERI, with the help of Assam Agriculture University (AAU), Krishi Vigyan Kendriya (KVK), and funding from ReNew is working in close collaboration with these landowners. They are encouraged to carry out eco-friendly agroforestry plantations with organic fertilizers, proper rotation cycles, and integrated pest management. These agroforestry plantations are being developed as a part of the carbon finance project. The aim of this carbon project is to provide financial incentives to the farmers, sequester more carbon and promote sustainability through the integration of trees or woody plants into agricultural landscapes of the individual farmers in the selected ten districts of the state of Assam, namely, Baksa, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Darrang, Golaghat, Jorhat, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Sonitpur and Udalguri. The project is expected to sequester 1,10,75,592 tonnes of carbon dioxide from 1 crore plantation over a period of 40 years.

Biodiversity Hotspot Preservation: The Goal of the Mountains to Mangroves Initiative

The Mountains to Mangroves (earlier Great People's Forest) initiative of the Eastern Himalayas, a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot, is one of the largest reforestation and conservation efforts in South Asia. The initiative will seek to plant 1 billion trees and restore and protect 1 million hectares of land across the Eastern Himalayas. TERI as a consortium partner has set a target to plant approximately 2 million native tree species over the course of the next 5 years in degraded forests and private lands of small farmers. The project also aims to implement forest conservation and preservation activities in a network of 25 Sacred Groves and CCAs covering a total area of about 10,000 hectares. In the first year the CBES will undertake plantations in Assam, and Nagaland. The local farmers and indigenous communities will be trained to actively participate in the conservation and management of forest land and provided best practices for tree plantation, resulting in improved socio-economic conditions and cultural preservation. With such activities TERI intends to integrate climate change mitigation strategies, enhancing resilience of the local ecosystem, sequester carbon, enhance biodiversity, and conserve this vital landscape for the generations
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