Agartala, October 7: Tripura Forest Minister Animesh Debbarma on Wednesday launched the official website of the World Bank-supported ELEMENT (Enhancing Landscape and Ecosystem Management) project, which seeks to promote sustainable forest management and strengthen livelihood opportunities for forest-dependent communities.
The website was inaugurated at Prakriti Bhavan in Gandhigram here in the presence of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) R K Shyamol and senior officials of the Forest Department.
The portal will provide information on the project’s activities, implementation progress and initiatives related to landscape and ecosystem management, besides highlighting efforts for forest and biodiversity conservation, officials said.
Speaking to reporters, Debbarma said the project was aimed at promoting entrepreneurship among communities dependent on forest resources and encouraging them to utilise such resources sustainably.
He said the initiative would also seek to connect enterprises run by forest-dependent communities with wider markets, creating additional opportunities for livelihood development.
“The Tripura Forest Department and the World Bank are working together on various aspects of the project, including livelihood development and sustainable forest management,” the minister said.
Representatives of the World Bank also participated in discussions with Forest Department officials during the programme.
Debbarma said the newly launched website would provide wider public access to information on the project’s conservation and livelihood-related activities.
“Through this website, people across the world will be able to see what we are doing for forest conservation, biodiversity protection and the livelihoods of people living in forest areas,” he said.
The minister said the project seeks to bring together environmental conservation and livelihood development by encouraging communities to adopt sustainable practices in the use of forest resources.
Officials said the ELEMENT project focuses on landscape and ecosystem management while supporting communities whose livelihoods are linked to forests.
The website is expected to serve as an information platform for sharing details about project activities, progress and initiatives being implemented across the state.
The Forest Department and the World Bank are collaborating on measures aimed at strengthening sustainable forest management and improving livelihood opportunities for forest-dependent communities.
Debbarma said the World Bank-supported initiative was expected to create new avenues for sustainable forest management and livelihood development in Tripura.
Officials said the website would also help improve awareness about conservation efforts and community-based livelihood initiatives being undertaken under the project.
The Forest Department will continue implementing activities under the initiative with focus on forest conservation, biodiversity protection, sustainable resource use and strengthening the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities, they said.
