World Bank shakes hands with IBRD to invest USD 48 Mn for strengthening community management of Meghalaya

Shillong, April 17: In order to strengthen community-led landscapes management in Meghalaya, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) inked a pact worth USD 48 million with World Bank. The objective of the Project is to strengthen community-led landscapes management in selected landscapes in the State of Meghalaya.

The Meghalaya Community Led Landscape Management Project (MCLLMP) will work with the communities broadly in the area of forest and water and will help in identifying activities for the degraded forest, soil and water conservation, restoration of springs and water bodies, nature-based tourism, agro-forestry and homestead forestry.

 

A Loan Agreement for IBRD loan of USD 48 million for the “Meghalaya Community - Led Landscapes Management Project (MCLLMP)” was signed on Monday with the World Bank. The Loan Agreement was signed by Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary (MI), Department of Economic Affairs on behalf of the Government of India and Hisham A Abdo Kahin, Acting Country Director, World Bank (India) on behalf of the World Bank. A Project Agreement was also signed by P. Sampath Kumar, Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya & CEO, Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA) and Hisham A Abdo Kahin, Acting Country Director, World Bank (India).

The Project consists of three components: (i) Strengthening Knowledge and Capacity for Natural Resource Management; (ii) Community-led landscape planning and implementation and (iii) Project Management and Governance. The closing date for the Project is 30th June, 2023.

Meghalaya’s natural resources such as land, water sources, and forests is a source of livelihood for a majority of the population in the State. The Project will help manage these depleting resources, by strengthening the communities and traditional institutions. Restoration of degraded and highly degraded landscapes under the Project will increase water for local communities and improve the soil productivity which will in turn increase incomes and reduce poverty.