World Bank to lend $48 mn for landscape management in Meghalaya

India on Monday signed a $48 million loan agreement with the World Bank to strengthen community-led landscape management in Meghalaya.

Meghalaya's natural resources such as land, water and forests is a source of livelihood for a majority of the population in the state.

An official statement said that the loan sanctioned for the "Meghalaya Community-Led Landscapes Management Project" will help manage these depleting resources, in selected landscapes, 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," the statement said.

The project consists of three components including strengthening knowledge and capacity for natural resource management, community-led landscape planning and implementation, and project management and governance.

It is expected to be completed by June 2023.

--IANS

vv/vd