India has signed an agreement with the World Bank for a USD 48 million loan to strengthen community-led landscapes management in selected area in Meghalaya, the finance ministry said on April 16.

The closing date for ‘Meghalaya Community – Led Landscapes Management Project (MCLLMP)’ is June 30, 2023.

According to the ministry’s statement, the project has three components – strengthening knowledge and capacity for natural resource management; community-led landscape planning and implementation and project management and governance.

“The project will help manage these depleting resources, by strengthening the communities and traditional institutions,” the statement said.

Meghalaya’s natural resources like land, water and forests are sources of livelihood for a majority of Meghalaya’s population.

“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 ministry said, reports Business Standard.