Guwahati: Aaranyak, the region’s premier biodiversity conservation organization, in collaboration with the British Asian Trust, organized a capacity-building training on mushroom cultivation in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district, one of the worst human-elephant conflict (HEC)-affected districts in the hill state.
The initiative was undertaken to support the livelihoods of communities affected by human-elephant conflict in the area to promote peaceful coexistence between humans and elephants, whose habitats have been constantly shrinking due to human-induced causes.
Over 25 women from several villages of Tikrikila Block of the district took part in the training held at Bordubi LP School.
Arpana Rabha, an expert in the subject, imparted practical knowledge on Oyster mushroom cultivation through a hands-on training session.
The attendees had the opportunity to learn about a wide range of mushroom species, master cultivation techniques, and discover the lucrative aspects of sustainable mushroom production.
The program aimed to boost local economies and promote sustainable livelihoods, enabling participants to mitigate losses from human-elephant conflict by applying their newly acquired skills.
Of these 25 villagers, seven were Aaranyak’s project beneficiaries, who were supported with 2 kg of mushroom spawn each.
The initiative was part of an ambitious project undertaken by Aaranyak and British Asian Trust, with support from Darwin Initiative, to work with multi-stakeholders to promote human-elephant coexistence in the region.
In West Garo Hills, Meghalaya, habitat loss and encroachment have led to increasing human-elephant conflict, resulting in crop damage, property destruction, and tragic fatalities.
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Rapid urbanization and deforestation exacerbate human-elephant conflict, endangering both human livelihoods and the survival of Asia’s dwindling elephant populations.
Aaranyak’s Anjan Baruah, Nipul Chakma, Swapan Das, Subash Ch Rabha, and Pankaj Das, and village champion Amrit Rabha coordinated the event.
