The loss of forest cover in Northeast India, emphasised in the ISFR 2021 report, highlights a pressing concern for forest and grassland survival. Human impact and deforestation are identified as major factors contributing to this problem. However, there are viable approaches to restoring forests, and one notable example is that of community participation in reforesting the Kakoijana Reserve Forest in Assam.
This forest, spanning 17.24 km near Abhayapuri town in Assam‘s Bongaigaon district, faced near extinction during the 1980s and 1990s, as recounted by villagers who shared their first-hand accounts of deforestation in the 1980s and 1990s.
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They described Kakoijana as being a dense forest when they first settled in the region. However, political instability and insurgency led to economic hardships, and widespread deforestation occurred. Nearly half of the region’s forests were destroyed, leaving the land barren. The fate of the forest took a turn in 1995 when the members of the local NGO, Nature’s Foster spotted the presence of golden langurs.
Kakoijana Reserve Forest was first established in 1966, but the presence of the golden langur was not known to the wider public until later. Deforestation forced the primates to venture out in search of food and shelter, exposing them to threats like stray dogs and power lines. It was extremely important to preserve their natural habitat.
Dr. Robert Horwich, an American researcher visited the region to study the golden langur. As the founder of the Community Baboon Sanctuary in Belize, he provided guidance to NGOs – Nature’s Foster and Green Forest Conservation. This collaboration led to the launch of the Golden Langur Conservation Project (GLCP) in 1998, focusing on community education, awareness of forest laws under the Forest Act of 1927, and fostering a collective consciousness for wildlife conservation. The members of the project worked with the surrounding villages for three years, introducing alternative income sources like pickle-making, handicrafts, poultry farming, and the sale of tableware from betel palm sheaths. This helped reduce the communities’ reliance on the forest for livelihoods.
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The villagers eventually formed a community group and implemented protective measures, such as avoiding tree felling. They also collected and planted native saplings and helped establish a natural canopy. Conservation efforts supported the langurs’ sustenance and as time passed, more villages joined the conservation efforts.
Presently, all 34 villages around Kakoijana are involved in conservation efforts, resulting in the increase of the golden langur population from less than 100 to over 600 individuals. These collective endeavours not only contributed to improvement in biodiversity but also led to the formation of a Forest Rights Committee and is an example of how the involvement of indigenous populations, who have a better understanding of forest ecology, is crucial in protecting forests and wildlife. Engaging local stakeholders in achieving economic and conservation objectives in forest-dominated regions creates long-lasting benefits. They also comprehensively demonstrate that both humans and wildlife are equally important components of what we commonly refer to as biodiversity in forestlands.
Namrata Sarma is a student intern at Azim Premji University. The article is a part of Forests of Life, a large climate change festival being organized by the University.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author.