A two-day dissemination workshop on India High Range Mountain Landscape project being implemented in 11 panchayats and six protected areas in the Western Ghats region began at the Kerala Arts and Craft Village, Kovalam, here on Wednesday.
The aim of the workshop is to evaluate the results of the successful implementation of the project, codify the ideas and set up follow-up planning and policy formulation activities.
Inaugurating the workshop, Chief Secretary V.P.Joy said the project, implemented by enabling a sustainable development process based on nature conservation, is the “seed” of State’s ongoing activities in this area. The project, which incorporates start-ups, innovative ideas and nature conservation, can be successfully implemented in other areas as well, he said.
A lot of new start-up ideas have been realised through the project. So far, the State has witnessed start-up development based on the IT sector. The government has decided to extend this to other areas as part of providing benefits to start-ups in any sector and a decision on this would be taken soon, said Mr. Joy.
Haritha Keralam Mission coordinator T.N. Seema presided over the function in which Shoko Noda, resident representative, United Nations Development Programme, India, delivered keynote address.