Sherdukpen Community

Conservation Area
A novel development in Biodiversity
Conservation is taking place in
Arunachal Pradesh.
Sherdukpen Community
Conservation Area
The region was environmentally studied during the 1980s from
the geology,
to geomorphology,
to pedobiology,
to limnology,
to ichthiology,
to entomology,
to zoology,
to botany,
to anthropology,
to atmospherics,
to socio-economics,
to climatics
Sherdukpen Community
Conservation Area
This indicated that Northeast India lies at
the trijunction of THREE different
biographical plates:

the Laurasian,
the Ethiopian and
the Oriental,


sheltering some of the
worlds most unique biodiversity.
Sherdukpen Community
Conservation Area
The needs of the community and the benefits of
conservation were widely discussed with the Sherdukpen
Clan leaders










resulting in the Sherdukpen Clan of the State resolving to
set aside a large tract of their community land for the
purpose of conservation of flora and fauna.
Sherdukpen Community
Conservation Area
Rural/Urban
One example of what can be done with environmental
information...
Decision
Making
Environmental
Concerns
Multi-Stakeholder
Human Problems
Accurate
Information
Logical Deduction + emotional concerns
Real/Motivated
Personal/Political
Compromise solution includes dialogue
Factual Inputs
Local, State, National, International Levels
Implementation and Enforcement
Sherdukpen Community
Conservation Area
It is with a view to protecting what little forest
remains that this presentation is made.









The thrust has been information dissemination,
convincing of locals and empowering them so that
there can be some hope of success.
Sherdukpen Community
Conservation Area
We are now physically preserving large tracts of
primary rain and cloudforests as well as
regenerating denuded areas through locals.
Without plantations.
Sherdukpen Community
Conservation Area
Insurgency & the Environment
Open conflict, declared or undeclared war,
insurgency, militancy, & terrorism debilitate
governments .
Governments, politicians and outside interest
groups have fled from the problems
Vast environmental
resources left to
insurgents

Sherdukpen Community
Conservation Area
Almost ALL of North Assams Government
Reserved Forests in N.E. India have been
decimated to the almost non-existent stage, on
the pretext of settling Insurgents.

And all this in that ecological kaleidoscope, the
UNDP DECLARED ENVIRONMENTAL
HOTSPOT: EASTERN HIMALAYA.
Sherdukpen Community
Conservation Area
Usual Needs & Benefits
JOBS
Capacity Building.
Poverty Alleviation
Motivate & train communities to self sustain project
Keep peace by removing one underlying cause of
conflictunemployment
Sherdukpen Community
Conservation Area
Possible Solutions:
Go in with an ICDP plan.
Bottom up approachask local people what they want
Convince local leaders of benefits.
Takes time. Be prepared for reverses.
Start small.
Get moving. Find funding for initial stages.
Make it self sustaining.
Religion, Culture, Peace & Environment - a powerful
foursome. Add implementation & enforcement. It works.
Sherdukpen Community
Conservation Area
This process is highly replicable in
most rural areas with local adaptations.
The project is envisaged to be a model
for community forests in the Northeast
where a large tract of forest area is
outside of State Government control
Huge conservation areas can be
developed benefiting local people
without bureaucracy, red tape and
corruption.
Sherdukpen Community
Conservation Area
Further details: Peter Thorose, Secy, MEWS-INDIA
email: peterthorose@hotmail.com
Thank You