Guwahati, March 3: Region’s premier biodiversity conservation organisation, Aaranyak that has been working in the Northeast India and outside for over 33 years in pursuit of its avowed mission to nourish nature to secure our future, has exhibited a window to its activities across sectors for the delegates and participants in just concluded Bodoland International Knowledge Festival (BIKF).

The four-day long Bodoland International Knowledge Festival (BIKF) 2023 organised by the Bodoland University (BU) and Bodoland Territorial Council authority ended yesterday on its campus. Over 20 countries sent representatives and experts to attend this mega-event which took place during February 27 to March 2.

The event highlighted a variety of socioeconomic and cultural aspects of Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) in Assam. Aaranyak (www.aaranyak.org), which has been working extensively in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) participated in the exhibition organised during the BIKF to highlight the organisation's various community-based interventions for sustainable livelihoods, the use of appropriate technologies, natural resource management approaches and community-based enterprises.

Aaranyak put up an interactive exhibition through presentation of photo stories of successful impact-oriented works, audio-visual presentations of the organisation’s flagship works, documentaries. In its exhibit, the organisation focused on the topics- why we need to be conscious about our biodiversity and other natural resources; different scientific and research-based interventions by Aaranyak for conservation, protection and sustainable management of biodiversity, sustainable livelihood and nature-based solutions.

An on the spot contest was also held for the visitors especially for sharing the observations of young students on any local environmental issues they know about / sharing their knowledge on any nature-based solutions for addressing any environmental issues / sharing their observations on a significant natural resource management practice of their area. Communicating with a questionnaire regarding local environmental issues, traditional practices, or nature-based solutions to conserve biodiversity or address environmental concerns. The contest made the exhibition engaging.

Senior subject matter experts from Aaranyak, including Jayanta Kumar Sarma and Dr Dipankar Lahkar, participated in the event as panellists and paper presenters.