Historically, the Tuivang River in Manipur and its catchment has been actively managed and used by local communities, with shifting cultivation and selective logging being common practices. Recent years has seen a drastic reduction in both these practices, and an increase in mechanized clear-felling of large tracts of forests. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this clear-felling on steep slopes has resulted in increased soil erosion and sediment loads in rivers.

Tree-based restoration has gained widespread popularity as a solution to limit global warming. Global tree-based restoration projects and research on carbon sequestration opportunities disproportionately identify open natural ecosystems (ONEs) comprising grasslands, savannas and woodlands for afforestation. In India, around 4.3 million hectares of these ecosystems have been identified as potential carbon sinks via afforestation. Open natural ecosystems harbour high biodiversity and the livelihoods of pastoralist communities.