It also targets community forest restoration through rehabilitation of 25,000 hectares of community forests through performance-based ecosystem service payments.
Guwahati, Nov 28: The vision for developing a green economy in Meghalaya’s has received a major boost with Asian Development Bank (ADB) approving a $77 million loan to promote ecotourism and natural farming in the state.
The loan is aimed at creating sustainable livelihoods while strengthening environmental resilience in Meghalaya.
The new initiative — Integrated Ecotourism and Sustainable Agri-Based Livelihood Development in Meghalaya Project — will link nature-based tourism with climate-smart agriculture and community forest conservation.
More than 8,000 people, including women and Indigenous communities, are expected to directly benefit from the project.
“The project supports Meghalaya’s Vision 2032 to become a top ecotourism destination while improving farmers’ incomes through sustainable agriculture,” said ADB Country Director for India Mio Oka.
She added that by combining conservation, tourism, and rural markets, the model can be replicated in other states.
ADB’s earlier Northeast Economic Corridor study had identified nature-based tourism and value-added agriculture as core drivers of Meghalaya’s future growth — findings that shaped the design of the project.
The project includes eco-friendly tourism facilities – visitor centres that double as interpretation hubs and spaces to showcase traditional crafts, skills, and local produce.
It also targets community forest restoration through rehabilitation of 25,000 hectares of community forests through performance-based ecosystem service payments.
To boost climate-smart farming, support will be extended to farmers to adopt sustainable practices, improve degraded fields, restore fallow land, and upgrade irrigation systems, including drip irrigation.
Post-harvest and processing infrastructure is also aimed with facilities to strengthen rural value chains and improve market access.
ADB will also provide a $1 million technical assistance grant to enhance institutional capacity, build stronger market linkages, and ensure long-term sustainability through mechanisms such as carbon and biodiversity credits.
The project will strengthen tourism and agricultural cooperatives, promote public–private partnerships for facility management, and introduce an innovation fund to support tourism enterprises, agribusinesses, forest initiatives, and gender-focused ventures.
