GUWAHATI: The Parks and Biodiversity Partnership, a collaborative initiative between the AFD (Agence Française de Développement), ONFI (French Forest Service International), and the Assam Forest Department, marked a significant milestone during a trilateral visit from November 22 to 24.
The visit commenced with a workshop on knowledge sharing at Kaziranga on November 22, inaugurated by Sandeep Kumar, additional PCCF (Wildlife-cum-Chief Wildlife Warden) and project director of Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation-II (APFBC-II).
Attendees included representatives from ONFI, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD, France), South African National Parks (SAN parks), and officers from the Rajasthan Forest Department, alongside senior officers and Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) from various forest divisions of the Assam Forest Department.
Thematic round-table discussions covered wildlife conservation practices in South Africa and Rajasthan, sharing insights into Assam's ongoing conservation measures. The workshop focused on long-term monitoring, surveillance, enforcement, and community engagement initiatives like ecotourism.
Delegates engaged in a field visit to Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve on November 23 and 24, interacting with frontline staff and experiencing the park's biodiversity. Demonstrations included soil and moisture conservation, drone-based surveillance, camera trapping for population estimation, and land reclamation.
The delegation interacted with the Notundanga Eco-Development Committee, visited the Choran Ahem (community-based Karbi Ethnic Cuisine Center), and met women frontline staff at anti-poaching camps. The final day included exploration of the contiguous landscape of Kaziranga, Nameri, and Orang National Parks through waterways, concluding at the Bhomoraguri inspection bungalow.
