Shillong, May 7: Meghalaya has taken a significant step toward empowering its indigenous communities to lead the way in ecological stewardship and sustainable governance of natural resources.
In a landmark move for grassroots conservation, Meghalaya has officially launched its first state-level forum dedicated to Community Conserved Areas (CCAs), named the Meghalaya Community Conserved Area Forum (MCCAF).
The formation was announced at the 2nd State-Level CCA Convening Workshop held at the U Kiang Nangbah Auditorium, North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, organized by the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES).
The event witnessed participation from representatives of 42 CCAs spanning eight blocks across the East Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills, East Jaintia Hills, and South Garo Hills. The initiative builds on the momentum from the first convening held earlier this year on March 4, where representatives from 23 CCAs unanimously expressed the need for a unified state-level forum, inspired by the success of Nagaland’s CCA forum.
MCCAF, the first platform of its kind in Meghalaya, aims to facilitate better information sharing, stronger collective action, common guidelines for conservation, improved technical knowledge, and enhanced recognition and support for community-led environmental initiatives.
The workshop, led by Yaranajit Deka, Senior Program Manager of FES, served as a vital space for cross-community engagement among the Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo communities. Discussions revolved around the finalization of MCCAF’s structure, which includes a general body of all community members, an executive body comprising two representatives (one male and one female) from each CCA—amounting to 90 members—and a leadership group of office bearers.
Key stakeholders such as NGOs, community institutions, and government agencies were identified and categorized based on their influence and support towards the CCA movement. An ADHOC committee of seven members, including two women from three regional clusters, was formed to steer the forum’s initial activities. Mr. H.W. Fowler, one of the ADHOC committee members, affirmed their commitment to working across all levels of the state to achieve the forum’s conservation goals.
Community voices were at the heart of the convening. Priancy Swer and Attention Syiemlieh offered reflections on the progress made since the March workshop. Sanjay Sharma, FES Regional Team Leader for the Northeast, emphasized the forum’s potential to amplify local voices at broader policy levels, referencing Nagaland’s decade-long journey that led to state, national, and international recognition.
The event also drew participation from key conservation organizations including The Nature Conservancy Centre (TNCC), Conservation Initiatives (CI), and the North East Society for Agroecology Support (NESFAS). Pius Ranee, Executive Director of NESFAS, stressed the urgency of engaging youth in reviving traditional farming and knowledge systems—critical pillars of biodiversity conservation.
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