A 2 year project on Assessing Ecosystem Services of Traditional Farming Systems Practiced by Tribal Communities of the North East Hill Region is currently taking place in the North-Eastern region of India. ESP India co-lead Dr. Suvangi Rath is part of the project team.
Background
Indigenous knowledge, central to traditional farming systems, has provided substantial ecological and cultural benefits throughout history. Preserving these practices is vital for conserving natural resources, maintaining biodiversity, and ensuring food security. Recognizing and valuing such contributions is key for sustainable resource management and effective policy development. Ecosystem services, benefits produced by ecological processes and natural systems, are essential for human well-being, though often undervalued in policies and markets (MEA, 2005). With rising awareness of their significance, there is growing interest in their valuation to support informed policy and business decisions, especially in resource-rich but overlooked regions like Northeast India.
Project Details
The project falls under the New Extension Methodologies and Approaches (NEMA) initiative of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and involves collaboration between multiple institutes. Titled “Assessing Ecosystem Services of Traditional Farming Systems Practiced by Tribal Communities of the North East Hill Region,” the project is led by Dr. G. Kadirvel, Director of ICAR-ATARI, Zone VI, as Principal Investigator. Co-Principal Investigators include Dr. R.K. Singh (ADG, AE, ICAR), Dr. Rajesh Kumar (Principal Scientist, ICAR-ATARI, Zone VI), Dr. Bagish Kumar (Scientist, ICAR-ATARI, Zone VI), Dr. V. Saravanakumar (Professor, Dept. of Agricultural Economics, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University), Dr. M. Balasubramanian (Assistant Professor, Institute of Social and Economic Change, Bangalore), Dr. Hui Tag (Professor, Department of Botany, Rajiv Gandhi University), Dr. Christy B.K. Sangma (Scientist, ICAR-RC for NEH), Dr. N. Raju Singh (Scientist, ICAR-RC for NEH), Dr. Shubhadeep Roychoudhary (Associate Professor, Assam University, Silchar), and Dr. Tapati Das (Associate Professor, Assam University, Silchar).
In addition, Dr. Suvangi Rath (Fellow, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, New Delhi) and Dr. Paulraj Rajamani (Professor, School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi), are also a part of this project for critical study and valuation of ecosystem services, further strengthening the research team’s capabilities. The Heads and Scientists of KVK Lower Subansiri, KVK Jorhat, KVK Tinsukia, along with the Senior Research Fellow have played key roles in executing field activities and ensuring accurate data collection.
Scope and Progress of the Project
This project aims to assess and monetize the ecosystem services provided by traditional tribal farming systems, including Apatani, ZABO, Bari, and Jhum, through site-specific analysis and development of methodologies for Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES). The expected outcomes include region-specific characterization of ecosystem services and policy recommendations for PES implementation. Progress to date includes identification and classification of ecosystem service indicators for the Apatani system, completion of 120 interviews in Arunachal Pradesh, initiation of data collection in Assam for the Bari system, and ongoing analysis of collected data. Further, a national workshop on ecosystem services in Himalayan agricultural landscapes was organized at Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, by ICAR-ATARI Zone VI, Guwahati in January 2024 where all the stakeholders participated and gave their valuable inputs.
For more information on this project, you can reach out to Dr. Suvangi Rath, Fellow, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi, India, Email: [email protected], [email protected].