Interaction programme on 'Indo-German Programme on CCA in the Himalaya' held at Lungphou village in Kangpokpi
Source: The Sangai Express
Kangpokpi, May 27 2019:
A significant interaction programme on Indo-German programme on Climate Change Adaptation in the Himalaya was held at Lungphou village in Kangpokpi District with the representatives of the KfW Germany, COSFOM and the Lungphou village community.
Community-based Sustainable Forest Management for Water Resources Conservation in Manipur (COSFOM) is a development project of the Government of India supported by the Federal Government of Germany through KfW, a German state-owned development bank, based in Frankfurt within the context of the Indo-German Programme on Climate Change Adaptation in the Himalaya.
The project is implemented by the Manipur Forest Department (MFD), the Project Executing Agency and managed by the Community Forestry and Water Conservation Society-Manipur (CF & WCS) .
The first phase of the project is designed for 7 years from 2018 to 2025.The COSFOM project combines a community-based and watershed approach to improve and conserve water resources and it aims at improving or restoring climate resilience of upper watershed ecosystems and the adaptive capacity of forest dependent communities through sustainable forest management, close-to-nature stream management, and spring shed development and biodiversity conservation while at the same, time, it seeks to strengthen sustainable livelihood strategies and income generation opportunities.
The project will work in three catchment areas, viz the Ukhrul Block of the Thoubal catchment in Ukhrul District, Imphal and Singda catchments in Kangpokpi District and it aims at delivering four outputs, such as, participatory watershed planning, coordination and monitoring; restoration and sustainable management of upper watersheds; security and improvements of livelihoods and capacity building for community based watershed management The interaction programme was attended by three representatives of KfW, Hubertus Kraienhorst, Boris Schinke and Sangita Agarwal and Alessandra Grosse, GFA.
Ngulkhohao Kipgen, PCCF, Manipur Forest Department, Hrishikesh Singh Konthoujam, COSFOM and Pradip Phanjoubam, Editor of Imphal Free Press were also present.
Hubertus Kraienhorst, Senior Technical Advisor of KfW said the purpose of the visit is to interact with the village community and to understand their views on the project and appeal the community to understand that it is a programme of cooperation between India and Germany which need some formalities to be followed before the project could commence.
He continued that the KfW, on behalf of the German Government would be visiting the village periodically to oversee the progress of the project while expressing satisfaction at the PowerPoint presentation made by the Chief of Lungphou and added that neither he nor his colleagues have any questions regarding the project in Lungphou.
Earlier, the Chief of Lungphou explained about the forest conservation efforts and the problems and issues of the village community in general through a PowerPoint presentation.
He also said that Lungphou village is of vital importance since the population of the district headquarters at Kangpokpi is dependent on the water sources from Lungphou while urging all to extend their support and co-operation to the forest and watershed conservation efforts which would have a lasting impact on future generations.
He further said that in a meeting held at the Forest Office in January attended by all participating villages, including Lungphou and Maohing, it had already been clarified that there were no legal issues related to land, traditional governance and forest rights of the community.
A brief welcome and reception programme with song, traditional gifts and traditional feast with local Kuki cuisine was also hosted by the village community.
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