Preserving traditional land use through new livelihood methods in Zunheboto, Nagaland, India: Satoyama approach

About the Project

• TERI is implementing a research project that seeks to protect and revitalise traditional land-use systems while opening new livelihood pathways for indigenous communities in Nagaland.
• Funded by the Japan Fund for Global Environment (JFGE) and implemented in partnership with Value Network Ventures (VNV) and the Mountains to Mangroves (MTM) Programme, the project draws inspiration from the global Satoyama Initiative.
• The project is being implemented in the villages of Sukhai, Kivikhu, and Ghukhuyi in Zunheboto District, Nagaland, where communities have long relied on shifting cultivation, forest resource collection, and small-scale agriculture for their sustenance.

Objectives

The project aims to explore and demonstrate pathways that strengthen traditional land-use practices while improving the economic and ecological resilience of local communities. Its core objectives are

• to promote sustainable agroforestry systems on old jhum fallow lands as a means of restoring land productivity and diversifying livelihoods;
• to document the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of the Sumi tribe, preserving indigenous wisdom on natural resource use and cultural land management practices in a published form; and
• to develop alternate livelihood opportunities that reduce dependence on forest resources and enhance income generation through sustainable, nature-based enterprises.

Key Outcomes

• The project is delivering interventions across three interconnected areas. In agroforestry development, fallow jhum lands are being transformed into productive, multi-layered agroforestry systems that provide diversified income streams while reducing pressure on forest ecosystems.
• To preserve indigenous heritage, the Traditional Ecological Knowledge of the Sumi tribe encompassing local practices, cultural relationships with land, and community-based resource management is being systematically documented and transcribed into a published volume for wider dissemination.
• Through the development of value addition mechanisms and small-scale enterprises, the project is creating alternate livelihood options that improve market access and economic opportunities for participating communities.