ABSTRACT
The volume culminates by analysing a decade of transformative shifts in Natural Resource Management (NRM) within Meghalaya, India. The core challenges discussed across these chapters arise from the state's distinctive governance structure under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, wherein communities, clans, and individuals collectively own and manage more than 90% of the land. While this deeply decentralised system safeguards traditional autonomy and local stewardship, it often falls short of achieving genuine empowerment. In the absence of cohesive planning, reliable geospatial data, and coherent policy frameworks, decentralisation without adequate institutional capacity has, at times, exacerbated resource degradation rather than mitigating it.
