Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 9 Sep: The Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management (CoE-SLM), Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), has commenced a three-day training programme, “Empowering Rural Communities to Achieve Land Degradation Neutrality through SLM Practices” from 9 to 11 September.
The programme is being funded by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, under the Forestry Training Capacity Building (FTCB) Scheme.
The training programme has brought a diverse group of stakeholders from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and other states reflecting a wide geographical representation aimed at strengthening capacity building efforts across the country.
The programme was formally inaugurated by Arti Chaudhary, IFS, Director (International Cooperation), ICFRE. In her inaugural address, she highlighted the critical importance of active community participation in addressing the challenges of land degradation and in achieving the goals of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). She emphasised that the adoption of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices at the grassroots level is essential for ensuring long-term ecological balance and safeguarding rural livelihoods dependent on natural resources.
Over the course of the three-day programme, participants will undergo a series of technical sessions, case-study discussions and field-oriented learning modules focused on SLM techniques and LDN strategies. The training is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and practical skills required to mobilise and empower rural communities in their respective states towards adopting and scaling sustainable land management practices, thereby contributing to India’s broader commitment to combating land degradation and desertification.
