Project manager, Sunil Subba with residents of Selbalgre, pose in front of a signage notifying declaration of Selbalgre Village Reserve Forest

The northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya is a part of the Indo-Myanmar Biodiversity Hotspot, one of 34 such hotspots identified across the world. The state with its 22,429 sq km area covering Khasi, Jaintia and Garo Hill Districts, has an estimated forest cover of about 8,500 sq km.

Habitat degradation caused by shifting (jhum) cultivation is a major threat to the forests here, endangering flagship species such as the Hoolock gibbon and the Asian elephant that inhabit forests in Meghalaya. Jhum is a form of agricultural practice involving clearing of forests for agriculture on a rotational basis. It affects at least 740 sq km across Meghalaya.

Shifting cultivation has traditionally been practised in Meghalaya for generations. This has created a mosaic of forested and jhummed areas, resulting in disrupted connectivity of forests, fragmenting populations of wild animals and increasing incidents of human-animal conflicts. The problem is most acute in the Garo Hills; three quarters of the state's total number of households involved in shifting cultivation, belong to the Garo hills.

Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), working in association with the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), Meghalaya Forest Department and local communities, attempts to restore these fragmented forest patches to establish a contiguous forest landscape through West Garo Hills and Nokrek National Park. The aim is to revive jhummed areas and convince local clans who own the land to declare Village Reserve Forests (VRF) for conservation and management. The project has been supported by World Land Trust and the British High Commission.

WTI is also working to secure the Siju-Rewak Corridor. Once secured, the corridor will provide a vital connecting link between Nokrek (connected to Rewak) and Balphakram National Park (connected to Siju Wildlife Sanctuary), facilitating long-term conservation and sustainability of Meghalaya's wildlife.

Siju-Rewak corridor landscape

A jhummed landscape in Garo Hills

As a result of jhum cultivation which involves slashing and burning of forests, rich wild habitats have been fragmented, affecting all kinds of wildlife. Hoolock gibbons, known as 'Huro' in the Garo Hills, face a critical situation; these canopy dwellers among other animals face serious survival challenges as their movement is now severely limited. Apart from fragmenting wild animal populations, this also increases incidents of human-animal conflict especially with large mammals such as Asian elephants.

The Village Reserve Forest Project atempts to address these conservation hurdles by establishing connectivity where the links have been broken. One key area that needs to be rejuvenated for free and safe movement of wild animals is between Rongram in West Garo Hills to Nokrek National Park. This requires securement of land belonging to seven villages - Selbalgre, Misimagre, Bibagre, Khalagre, Sakalagre, Sakal Aduma and Mandalgre, that lie between Rongram and Nokrek. To extend this contiguity up to Balphakram National Park, WTI is working on another related project to secure the Siju-Rewak corridor.

In Garo culture, most land (nearly 90%) is owned by the communities (A'khing). The Nokma (traditional village headman) allocates the land for different uses including 'jhum', in consultation with the Mahari (clan members).

In a novel approach to community-based-conservation, through the Village Reserve Forest project, the project implementers add new dimension and depth to the effort by involving local communities and working from within, without compromising on local culture and traditions. The project encourages village authorities to voluntarily set aside their A'khing land as reserve forests.

Local people are sensitised to the need of conservation and are introduced to the concept of reserve forests. They are also informed about the need and advantages of re-planting jhum fallows with indigenous trees and the importance of preserving existing forests.

Event held at Selbalgre in March 2008, to mark the expansion of Selbalgre VRF by 100 hectares

The land is formally declared as Village Reserve Forest (VRF) only after the community approves of the concept. The declaration of an area as a VRF does not change its management; the control and management is retained by the local people of the respective community. GHADC and WTI provide the technical support and inputs for scientific management of the newly-protected area.

Once secured, the reserve forest is demarcated. With the technical expertise and financial support of WTI, the local people undertake plantation in the jhummed areas within the reserve forest. Apart from plantation, other habitat protection and enhancement techniques are used to reduce soil erosion and harness rainwater to improve water retention in the area.

WTI also provides support for eco-development within participating villages, to cater to their basic needs of healthcare, education, communication facilities, etc.

• In December 2006, residents of Selbalgre, a village 20 km west of Tura, agreed to set aside about 100 hectares of A'khing land at the Old Village site to be declared as a Village Reserve Forest. They resolved to plant jhum fallows with native tree species and limit extraction of standing bamboo for domestic uses only. The formal declaration of the VRF came about in April 2007.
  
  
• In December 2007, the Selbalgre Village Reserve Forest Committee passed a resolution to declare an additional 100 hectares as extension to the VRF. The formal declaration was made in March 2008.
  
  
• Residents of Mandalgre have set aside 7.5 sq km of the A'khing land for conservation. It was notified as Mandalgre VRF in November 2008.
  
  
• In February 2009, about 100 hectares of A'khing land of Sasat Sakal Aduma village was declared as a Reserve Forest.

• Jhum fallows within Selbalgre VRF are being planted with indigenous tree species such as Artocarpus heterophyllus (jackfruit), Gmelina arborea (Gamari), Michelia champaca (Teta champa), Syzygium cumini (Jamun), Bauhinia spp etc. Plantation has been completed in about 20 hectares fallow land.
  
  
• An additional 30-40 hectares of jhum fallows within the declared VRFs will be afforested during the year 2009-10.
  
  

• Strengthening livelihoods to minimise dependency on the forest

  Eco-development activities are being carried out in Selbalgre as well as Mandalgre. In Selbalgre, livelihood support has been provided to residents. In Mandalgre, development of infrastructure such as school building, bridges etc are being undertaken.
  
  
• Demarcation of Sakal Aduma VRF will soon be initiated.
  
  
• Sunil Subba, Manager Wild Lands programme, who heads the VRF project, and his team, were awarded Best Conservation Achievement for the year 2007-08 during the annual WTI awards.