The project’s key feature is development of 12 nature-based ecotourism visitor facilities across six tourism clusters – Mawsynram, Pynursla-Pongtung, Umden, Shillong, Resubelpara, and East Jaintia Hills circuit.
ROOPAK GOSWAMI
Guwahati, Jan 11: The ambitious Integrated Ecotourism and Sustainable Agri-Based Livelihood Development Project is set make interventions across sectors in Meghalaya, including tourism, forest conservation and climate-smart farming, to develop a single livelihood strategy in the state.
Aided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the project moves away from conventional tourism-led infrastructure and instead bets on community ownership, ecological restoration and value-added agriculture as the engines of growth.
Rather than creating stand-alone tourism infrastructure, the project adopts a landscape-based approach, anchoring ecotourism development in community-managed forests, local food systems and cooperative enterprises. Officials say the model is designed to reduce pressure on over-visited destinations while spreading economic gains across rural and tribal areas.
“Untapped nature-based ecotourism as a driver of inclusive growth and constraints. Nature-based ecotourism can transform Meghalaya’s economy and build the resilience of the community by diversifying revenue, boosting demand for agricultural and forest products, and enhancing livelihoods,” the Bank says.
“Vision 2032 of the Government of Meghalaya aims to position the state as a top ecotourism destination. By 2028, it plans to double tourism’s economic contribution, increase its share of the GSDP from 4.1% to 10.0%, attract 2 million tourists, and double tourism-related jobs to 100,000, while also contributing to market demand for its unique natural and organic produce”.
A key feature of the project is the development of 12 nature-based ecotourism visitor facilities across six tourism clusters, including Mawsynram, Pynursla–Pongtung, Umden, Shillong, Resubelpara and the East Jaintia Hills circuit. It will create enabling conditions for the private sector to invest in nature-based tourism operations in these clusters.
These centres will function as interpretation hubs rather than conventional tourist complexes—integrating craft demonstration spaces, local produce markets, upgraded trails, sanitation and waste management systems, and solar-powered public utilities. The aim is to extend tourist stays, promote local spending, and create opportunities for homestay owners, guides, artisans and food entrepreneurs, particularly women.
Six of the facilities will eventually be operated through public–private partnership (PPP) models to ensure professional management and financial sustainability.
One of the project’s most distinctive elements is its expansion of performance-based Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES). Around 25,000 hectares of community forest land will be brought under scientific management, with landowners receiving incentives for conservation and restoration.
The approach reframes forest protection as a livelihood option—rewarding communities for maintaining water sources, biodiversity and soil stability, while also strengthening Meghalaya’s climate resilience in the face of rising rainfall variability and extreme weather events.
On the agriculture front, the project will support 3,400 farmers to adopt natural and climate-smart practices, rehabilitating nearly 1,700 hectares of degraded and fallow land. Collective farming models will be promoted through 170 drip irrigation systems, helping farmers move away from climate-vulnerable practices and low yields.
High-value crops such as Khasi mandarin, pineapple, black pepper and large cardamom will be linked to 28 new post-harvest and processing facilities, enabling value addition and better price realisation. By connecting farming clusters to nearby tourism circuits, the project aims to create steady demand for local produce from hotels, homestays and visitor centres.
Integrated Village Cooperative Societies (IVCSs) will be central to implementation, managing collective farms, irrigation assets and market access. In parallel, tourism cooperatives will be strengthened to ensure community participation in destination management.
An innovation fund will provide targeted support to tourism start-ups, agri-business ventures, forest-based enterprises and women-led initiatives, while a dedicated technical assistance component will focus on capacity building, digital tools, and long-term revenue mechanisms such as carbon and biodiversity credits.
