25 Jan 2024 Under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded Green-Ag Project, a convergence cum capacity-building workshop was organized for district-level line department officials from 24-25 January 2024 in Gudugudia Similipal forest, Mayurbhanj, Odisha. The workshop intended to enhance the skills and knowledge of officials from different line departments relating to different aspects of Green-Ag Project implementation. Nearly 60 participants including government officials from the Directorate of Soil Conservation and Watersheds, Institute on Management of Agricultural Extension (Operational Partner), Department of Forest Environment and Climate Change, Directorate of Agriculture and Food Production, Directorate of Horticulture, Krishi Vigyan Kendra scientists, and representatives from related line departments and Panchayat Raj Institution (PRI), as well as members of the State Project Management Unit (SPMU) and Green Landscape Implementation Unit (GLIU) attended the workshop. Siba Charan Jethy, Project Director, Watersheds cum District Project Nodal Officer (DPNO) Mayurbhanj, Green-Ag project, Odisha set the tone of the workshop and shared the purpose of the convergence workshop with a briefing of modalities of implementation of Green-Ag project. Sailendra Nayak, Joint Director of Soil Conservation and Watershed Development, emphasized the need for special allotments by different departments to the project villages under the Green-Ag project. He also highlighted the importance of skill enhancement for stakeholders through workshops and exposure visits to ensure the successful implementation of projects. During the two-day workshop, the State Project Management Unit (SPMU) team and the Green Landscape Management Unit (GLMU) delivered detailed presentations on the overview of the project and its implementation architecture. This was followed by in-depth presentations on sustainable agriculture, livestock management, implementation issues and challenges, various people-centric interventions, institutional structure, the community consultation process for preparing the Green Landscape Management Plan (GLMP), communication strategy for creating awareness, and the way forward based on experience. The workshop facilitated interactive discussions, enabling participants to share experiences, best practices, innovative ideas, issues, and challenges. It served as a platform for collaboration and networking among stakeholders to develop effective implementation strategies. The workshop offered valuable insights for the Green-Ag project team and facilitated collaboration among participants. Sai Kiran, IFS, Deputy Director of Similipal, North, Mayurbhanj, Odisha assured to extend necessary support from the Forest Department to promote convergence and sustainable development in the project area.