Introduction
The Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA) is a Society registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860. Set up in March 2011 and headed by the Chief Secretary, Government of Meghalaya its Registered Office is situated at Nongrim Hills, Shillong. MBDA aims to address management of natural resources in the state while addressing issues of livelihoods among the rural communities with emphasis on sustainable good practices. Its strategies focus on leveraging the strengths of the land while adapting to climate change, without degradation to the environment.
Bottom-Up Approach
MBDA follows a citizen centric approach and designs its interventions around the needs of the people. It focuses on collecting demands of the citizens and creating necessary eco-systems to facilitate
developmental actions based on these demands. MBDA does not provide subsidies or schemes; instead, citizens are encouraged to undertake profitable activities and generate their own livelihoods. Since partnership promotes ownership and accountability, each citizen working with MBDA are known as “Partners” rather than “Beneficiaries”, this further ensures sustainability of interventions. Citizens are provided with technical and non-technical support to pursue livelihood activities of their choice.
The Four Pillars of MBDA
MBDA has developed a unique 4-pillar structure that emphasizes bottom-up, citizen-centric, and inclusive development comprising four key components: Natural Resource Management, Entrepreneurship Development, Good Governance, and Knowledge Management. Natural Resource Management focuses on the sustainable use of natural resources to enable long-term, inclusive, and ecologically sound development. Entrepreneurship Development encompasses a range of processes designed to support existing and potential entrepreneurs by creating a conducive and enabling environment for enterprises to thrive. Good Governance initiatives stress transparency, inclusiveness, and stakeholder participation through systematic engagement with traditional institutions and civil societies, adaptive leadership programs, social impact assessments, and programs that promote ethics in governance. Knowledge Management forms the backbone of the entire process, providing a network of support services that include accessible repositories, documentation, lesson learning, action research, and communication and outreach.