From weed to wealth: Assam women turn water hyacinth into livelihoods near rhino habitat

A livelihood inaugural supported by the International Rhino Foundation has helped women successful the fringe areas of cardinal Assam’s Laokhowa-Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary (LBWLS) crook weed into wealth. A cardinal biodiversity area, the 114.19 sq. km LBWLS is contiguous with the scenery of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

Much of the Laokhowa portion of the sanctuary was reclaimed from encroachers successful 2 phases since February 2023, allowing one-horned rhinos to instrumentality aft 40 years. The rhino, tiger, and different animals were wiped retired from Lawkhowa successful the 1980s, erstwhile radical from surrounding villages converted ample swathes of the jungles and associated authorities onshore into paddy fields and fisheries. Poaching was besides a factor.

Assam-based biodiversity conservation Aaranyak teamed up with the Kaziranga authorities to prosecute the women of these villages successful a antithetic benignant of conversion — by utilising the abundant h2o hyacinth successful the LBWLS scenery to trade market-ready inferior items. Considered 1 of the world’s astir invasive aquatic weeds, the fast-growing h2o hyacinth affects freshwater ecosystems by physically and chemically suffocating beingness beneath the h2o surface.

The thought down this project, which started successful 2023, was simple. To prolong the reclaimed LBWLS, it was indispensable to amended the economical conditions of the needy surviving connected the sanctuary’s periphery. Arif Hussain, elder manager successful Aaranyak’s Rhino Research and Conservation Division, said 2 groups of women were trained and provided with indispensable instrumentality and facilities to nutrient a assortment of household items with h2o hyacinth.

“One of the reasons the task has succeeded is the enactment of Kaziranga Director Sonali Ghosh for the inaugural that has the bigger extremity of securing the wildlife situation successful LBWLS,” helium said.

Market-friendly items

The manufacturers of h2o hyacinth products beryllium to 2 self-help groups — Pragati successful Singimari colony and Bonani successful Kaliadinga village. They merchantability their products to concern organisations linked to the task to guarantee a dependable income.

Master trainer Anjuma Begum, who catalysed women’s entrepreneurship successful the area, said the trade has been convenient for the women. “The manufacturing units person fixed them a monthly earning portion allowing them to fulfil their responsibilities astatine home,” she said.

“After undergoing precocious training, the women person been churning retired eating mats, eating array runners, baskets and bags of assorted sizes and utilities, purses, bags, serving bowls, insubstantial paper boxes, mobile telephone holders, hanging angiosperm vases, hats, and different market-friendly items,” she said.

Rajib Hazarika, the Divisional Forest Officer of Nagaon Wildlife Division, said specified initiatives heighten coordination betwixt the Forest Department and radical successful fringe areas to support wildlife habitats. The Nagaon Division administers portion of the LBWLS. However, helium stressed the request to guarantee the products are durable, fixed that h2o hyacinth items readily sorb moisture and whitethorn decay quickly.

The LBWLS analyzable features a mosaic of bedewed alluvial grasslands, riparian forests, and uncommon freshwater mangroves. Apart from the rhino and tiger, it is location to the barking deer, sportfishing cat, leopard cat, civet, chaotic boar, and 225 taxon of birds, 39 taxon of fish, 14 taxon of reptiles, and 9 taxon of amphibians.