The Community-based Forest Management and Livelihood Improvement project in Meghalaya (MegLIFE), supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), commenced in October 2020. The primary objective of this project is to undertake sustainable forest management, enhance livelihood opportunities, and strengthen institutional frameworks within villages, thereby contributing to the conservation of natural resources, biodiversity, and the improvement of socio-economic conditions in Meghalaya.

Overview

Agrenggittim, a village nestled in South Garo Hills District, spanning 589.25 hectares and is home to 264 residents. Once blessed with the riches of coal, the era of coal mining came to an end in 2003, leaving behind a legacy of unscientific practices that resulted in the drowning of 14 hectares of mining area. This unscientific mining approach subsequently led to severe land degradation within the affected coal mining region.

The Challenge