Kohima: Nagaland Community Conserved Area Forum (NCCAF) has been critical of the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act 2023, which it says goes against the interests of the indigenous communities of Nagaland.
The NCCAF argues that the Act gives the central government too much power over the management of forests, and that it does not adequately recognize the traditional rights of local communities to these forests. The Forum also says that the Act will make it more difficult for communities to set up and manage their own community conserved areas (CCAs).
CCAs are areas of land that are protected and managed by local communities. They are an important way for indigenous communities to conserve their traditional knowledge and practices, and to protect their natural resources. The NCCAF says that the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act 2023 will make it much harder for communities to set up and manage CCAs, and that this will have a negative impact on the environment and the livelihoods of indigenous peoples.
The NCCAF has called on the government to withdraw the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act 2023 and to work with local communities to develop a new law that respects the rights of indigenous peoples and that supports the conservation of forests.
In addition to the NCCAF, a number of other organizations have also expressed concerns about the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act 2023. These include the Nagaland Indigenous Peoples Forum, the Nagaland Tribes Council, and the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee.
The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act 2023 is still a new law, and it is not yet clear how it will be implemented in Nagaland. However, the NCCAF and other organizations are concerned that the Act will have a negative impact on the environment and the livelihoods of indigenous peoples. The government needs to listen to these concerns and make sure that the Act is implemented in a way that respects the rights of indigenous peoples.