RCE Srinagar: Community Initiatives for Biodiversity Conservation in North-Eastern India Pradeep Boro Rashmi Gangwar Abdhesh Gangwar 36 3 Learning for Conserva tion and Revi talisation of Natural and Cultural Resources RCE Srinagar RCE Srinagar is based in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), the northernmost state of India bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan to the west and China to the east. Srinagar is the summer capital of J&K, a major tourist destination built around the beautiful Dal Lake. RCE Srinagar was acknowledged as a Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development in September 2011. The RCE builds local capacities to enhance understanding on the eco-sensitive development of the area and brings attitudinal change to reduce anthropogenic pressure on the fragile Himalayan ecosystems. Its efforts are supported by its partners, including the J&K Education Department, two universities in Kashmir, technical institutions, likeminded NGOs and civil society organisations focused on education, climate change, slum development, disaster management, wetland management, improvement of livelihoods, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. RCE Srinagar is working towards: • Integration of ESD in academic curricula and the orientation of school teachers and higher education instructors through teacher training programmes; • Promotion of locally suitable alternate sustainable technologies through training camps and extension of technologies by concerned academic and government departments; • Raising awareness in communities on local environmental issues through awareness programmes, campaigns, rallies and competitions; • Advocacy and policy interventions for sustainable development by building pressure groups to influence policy decisions; • Community-based disaster preparedness through awareness programmes in schools, village contingency planning in communities, and disaster preparedness training for youth, local and state administrations; and • Research on traditional practices and appropriate technologies to document traditional lifestyles and coping mechanisms. Eastern Himalaya – A Biodiversity Hotspot North-east India harbours a unique and rich biodiversity. Indeed, Eastern Himalaya is a hotspot of biodiversity. In the region there are still areas that have not yet been explored for the richness of biodiversity and there may therefore be many species that have not yet been identified. However, with increasing population, consumerism, development of infrastructure, environmental degradation and for several other reasons, the region’s biodiversity is depleting rapidly. It is feared that many species will become extinct before they even get catalogued. Multi-pronged efforts are therefore underway to help conserve the rich and unique biodiversity of the region. North-eastern India has a unique land tenure system. The land belongs to the community and not to the government. Forest conflicts in the hill regions of northeast India have a long history, with intertribal disputes occurring periodically ever since the region was settled more than 1,000 years ago. Tribal resistance to British colonial incursions into the hills of north-east India in the early 19th century resulted in special policies enacted to allow customary systems of forest management and respect for traditional systems of governance. This policy Sikkim CHINA BHUTAN BANGLADESH Arunachal Pradesh Nagaland Manipur Mizoram MYANMAR Assam Meghalava Kharshati Khonoma Barekuri Tripura INDIA
Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity
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