The Asian Development Bank has approved a $77 million loan to support ecotourism and natural farming in Meghalaya, India, with the goal of creating sustainable livelihoods and strengthening environmental resilience. The Integrated Ecotourism and Sustainable Agri-Based Livelihood Development in Meghalaya Project will combine nature-based tourism with climate-smart agriculture and forest conservation to benefit more than 8,000 local residents, including women and Indigenous communities.
The project aligns with Meghalaya’s Vision 2032, which aims to position the state as a leading ecotourism destination while boosting farmer incomes through sustainable agriculture. According to ADB, linking conservation with tourism and rural markets will open new economic opportunities and offer a model for inclusive development that other Indian states can replicate.
The initiative draws on insights from ADB’s Northeast Economic Corridor study, which identified nature-based tourism and value-added agriculture as major growth drivers for Meghalaya. Project activities will include developing visitor facilities that serve as interpretation centers, craft demonstration spaces, and marketplaces for local products. Additionally, the project will restore 25,000 hectares of community forests through performance-based ecosystem service payments and help farmers adopt climate-smart agricultural practices, rehabilitate degraded and fallow lands, and upgrade irrigation systems.
To further support implementation, ADB will provide a $1 million technical assistance grant to build institutional capacity, improve market linkages, and ensure long-term sustainability through innovative financing tools such as carbon and biodiversity credits. The project will also strengthen agriculture and tourism cooperatives, promote public–private partnerships for managing facilities, and create an innovation fund to support tourism enterprises, agribusinesses, forest initiatives, and gender-focused projects.
Overall, the initiative aims to build inclusive and climate-resilient livelihoods across rural Meghalaya by empowering women, supporting local entrepreneurship, and expanding opportunities within farming and ecotourism sectors.
