Aaranyak

Community Based Conservation Programme

1. Deepar Beel Community Conservation Project

Deepar Beel- A wetland of International Importance

What is the Project all about?

The Deepar Beel conservation project is a planned attempt made by Aaranyak to deal with conservation from a different perspective. The project was designed to reduce the anthropogenic pressure on the wetland by providing for alternative and diversified means of livelihood to the people living along the fringe villages. The purpose of the project is to set up some community run Self Help Groups (SHGs) to strengthen their livelihood options through diverse means and garn their support in the conservation of Deepar Beel as wetland ecosystem.

What we intended to do in the Project?

The project intended to establish Self Help Groups (SHGs) and arrange for diversified means of livelihood for them. Altogether 12 SHGs has been formed out of which 7 piggeries, 3 goateries and 2 weaving based SHGs. The beneficiaries have been selected from low-income groups and preference was given to the women folk. This project has been supported by the NCIUCN in 2004-2005.

Woman members of a SHG raising goats

Piggery initiated by SHG

What output was achieved out of the project?

Under the project 12 SHGs were formed over a period of two (2) years and assistance was provided to them in the form of training, finance, developing marketing linkages etc. These SHGs have now become a regular and secure source of income for a large number of families. Further conservation need of elephants and rhinos have also been portrayed through traditional weavers in felicitation cotton made materials like Gamocha (Assamese Traditional 'towel') etc.

Community Meeting

'Gamocha' to promote conservation messages

What will we do in the future?

On the basis of the response received from the mentioned project another project had been initiated in the area for development of an Integrated Fishery, which would economically benefit fifteen (15) low-income families and thereby reduce pressure on the Beel. This project is being supported by CAPART-NE Office.