India’s first carbon-positive settlement
GS 3: Environment | Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
Why in News?
Phayeng, a small village in Imphal West district of, Manipur has developed itself as India’s first carbon-positive settlement.
Highlights:
- Phayeng is a scheduled caste village of the Chakpa community in Imphal West district and its conservation efforts are mainly linked to the belief that the forest is a sacred grove.
- The transformation of the village from the dry and denuded village in the 1970s and 80s was funded under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC).
- A village is given the carbon-positive tag if it sequesters more carbon than it emits, slowing the accumulation of greenhouse gases and mitigating the effects of climate change
Measures taken:
- The hunting is completely banned in the village except once a year when a deer is usually killed as sacrifice to the “forest gods”.
- Restriction on outsiders’ entry into the forest without permission
- Forest fires are carefully monitored
- Only dry twigs are extracted for firewood
- The entire 200 acres is patrolled by at least six people every day.