French Development Agency takes stock of conservation project in Assam

GUWAHATI: The French Development Agency (AFD) - undertook a six-day visit from September 11 to September 16 in Assam to take stock of the progress of the Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation.

The three-member AFD mission team, including Lise Brueli, Country Director, AFD, Akshita Sharma, Sector Portfolio Manager, Biodiversity, AFD, and Alice Jurgens Rios, Project Manager, South Asia, AFD, along with Project Director, Sandeep Kumar, IFS, PCCF Wildlife, visited different sites and interacted with the project beneficiaries around Manas National Park, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and Nagaon Forest Division.

The project, which started in 2012, is now in its second phase with an inclusive vision that keeps local communities at the heart of conserving wildlife, plants, and ecosystems.

The mission kicked off with a visit to the Manas National Park, where different forest staff facilities developed under the project were shown and interactions on protected area management, including grassland management and invasive weed management, were held.

It was followed by the inauguration of a Banashristi Store by the Country Director, AFD at the Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Park in Guwahati. Banashristi stores sell products produced by the forest-fringe communities, including unique handicrafts and handloom products.

The team also visited a plantation site at Amsoi in the Nagaon Division. Under Phase II, plantations would be raised on about 12,500 hectares in priority sites across Assam. Of the total, more than 75% area has already been covered. The key focus areas of the project are to build the capacity of the forest department staff for improved wildlife management and fringe communities in alternate livelihood opportunities to enhance their income. Interactions between the communities and the AFD team were held at the Ouguri Ecodevelopment Committee near the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, where they visited ongoing training sessions on food processing and weaving.

The AFD team appreciated the efforts made by the project team including the department and the agencies associated with the project in taking the project deliverables forward, stated a press release.

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