APSC Answer Writing (Daily) based on Assam Tribune – 21/05/2025

Model answer

Model Answer

Introduction

India’s Northeastern region, one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, is home to diverse tribal communities whose traditional knowledge and practices have played a vital role in conserving local flora, fauna, and ecosystems. Their contribution has gained renewed focus during events like International Biodiversity Day (May 22, 2025), highlighting grassroots conservation.

Role of Tribal Communities in Biodiversity Conservation

1. Agro-Ecological Practices
   • Systems like the Apatani rice-fish farming in Arunachal integrate productivity with ecological balance.
2. Sacred Groves
   • Tribes like the Karbi and Khasi maintain forest patches preserved for spiritual reasons, fostering biodiversity.
3. Seed Preservation
   • Indigenous farmers maintain community seed banks of native rice, millet, and medicinal plants.
4. Jhum Agroforestry
   • While often critiqued, shifting cultivation, when regulated, supports diverse cropping and soil regeneration.
5. Sustainable Harvesting
   • Controlled extraction of bamboo, herbs, and NTFPs sustains livelihoods without depleting resources.

Challenges

Way Forward

1. Document Traditional Knowledge using local universities and biodiversity registers
2. Support Community Conservation Areas (CCAs) under the Biological Diversity Act
3. Eco-Cultural Tourism to link conservation with income generation
4. Integrate with State Forest Policies in Assam and NE states
5. Youth Engagement Programs to revive ecological roles and storytelling traditions

Conclusion

Tribal communities are natural custodians of biodiversity, and their inclusion is key to climate-resilient, culturally-rooted conservation. Assam and the Northeast must move beyond top-down models and empower community-led conservation through policy, recognition, and sustainable incentives.