The MBDA (Meghalaya Basin Development Authority) was set up in April, 2012. It is headed by the Chief Secretary, Government of Meghalaya. The MBDA has identified that natural resources and river basins provide ideal opportunities for providing multi-livelihoods to people in the rural areas. It is no secret that the poorer sections of the rural community have hardly had a stake in the village economy. They have often been left out of the loop of development and this has pushed them to the brink of impoverishment. For mere survival, they have had to exploit the environment around them to eke out a bare subsistence. They have barely been able to voice the grievances that they have to live with each day. MBDA seeks out to redress these problems and lend a voice to those that have not been heard. Not only is the MBDA concerned with poverty alleviation but in order to achieve this it must make sure that it done without degradation to the environment. A livelihood thus comprises the capabilities, assets (including both material and social resources), and activities required for a means of living. A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks and maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in the future, while not undermining the natural resource base.

The rural population of the state seek their livelihood support from natural resources and depend heavily on it. This, however, has had a very obvious drawback. Environmental degradation! Increased need and unsustainable resource utilization has pushed back the boundaries of our forests and churned our clear stream into muddy water. Strategies to cope with climate change are the need of the hour. A broad platform of better governance and a high level of community participation must be set up to create new and holistic initiatives to address the problem of unchecked deforestation, mining and water pollution. An informed choice must be made and that choice is getting grass root level stakeholders, Government Departments, Organisations, Civil Society and Traditional Institutions to come together for improving the well-being and quality of life of the people. Effective planning, appropriate and timely interventions and adequate investment should happen through a better synergy of all the stakeholders. The MBDA (Meghalaya Basin Development Authority) had been set up with the express purpose to address such matters.