Village leaders and community members from six fringe villages of Ntangki National Park gathered for an inter-village meeting of stakeholders under the IUCN/ITHCP Phase II project implemented by WCS -India from 6 fringe villages of the Ntangki National Park in Pellhang village under Peren district. The project affects about 5,000 people through livelihood activities and community infrastructures. Supongnukshi Ao of the Nagaland State Biodiversity Board emphasised the need for a People's Biodiversity Report to document the region's flora and fauna, while Heirang Lungalung of the Nagaland Community Conservation Area Forum stressed on collective conservation efforts and invited villages to join the forum by dedicating land for conservation. Mr. Aochuba, Field Director of Ntangki National Park, highlighted tourism potential, contingent on community support. Dr. Prabhat Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Jalukie, called for a mindset change towards natural resource management and offered skill development support.
Participants raised concerns about infrastructure, particularly the absence of bridges over local rivers, which hinders transport during the monsoon. The speakers advised formal requests to the District Planning Committee and assured follow-up.
Since September 2023, WCS-India has been implementing the IUCN/ITHCP - Phase II Project, “Partnering with Communities to Strengthen Conservation of Critical Tiger Habitats in Northeast India” in Nagaland. This project involves six villages on the fringes of Ntangki National Park, focusing on community-led conservation and youth capacity building through resource mapping using GPS, camera traps, herbarium collection, and conservation education activities.
