Dimapur: Nagaland forest department stressed the need for focused and intensive conservation of forests at the annual review-cum-planning workshop of the Forest and Biodiversity Management in the Himalaya (Nagaland) Project (FBMP) at the forest office complex in Kohima on Thursday.The two-day workshop, co-financed by the Federal Republic of Germany through KfW, is aimed at reviewing progress and charting the roadmap for the next phase of implementation.FBMP is part of the govt of Germany’s financial cooperation with India, signed in 2016, focusing on sustainable and effective management of forests and biodiversity in Nagaland.Addressing the inaugural programme of the workshop, Vedpal Singh, principal chief conservator of forests & head of forest force, Nagaland, emphasised the need to institutionalise all interventions under the project to ensure sustainability beyond individuals.He stressed that review meetings must result in measurable and implementable decisions. He also cautioned against spreading resources too thinly and suggested intensive interventions in selected locations to create demonstrative and replicable models.Highlighting the importance of visible and relatable issues, Singh called for strengthening components such as human-wildlife conflict mitigation to enhance public engagement and institutional support.
