Forest Restoration Sticks in Net Zero Race

India’s pledge to set a net zero target by 2070 at the COP26 summit, Glasgow, has again highlighted the importance of forests as an indisputable mechanism to help mitigate the challenges of climate change. However, in more specific terms, it has already been implemented during REDD+’s United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) Framework (2013) to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in the ‘Sustainable Management of Forests for Conservation’. ‘ was highlighted as well. Increase in forest carbon stock’. In a study by Griscom (2017), land-based sinks (natural climate solutions that include forests) can provide up to 37% reduction in emissions and help keep global temperatures below 2 °C. In addition, recent research has supported a natural regeneration model of restoration over the current much-publicized mode of plantation, such as forests, said to secure approximately 32% carbon storage, according to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. goes.

continuous decline

Although India is said to have increased its forest cover by 15,000 square kilometers in the last six years, the existing forests continue to degrade. According to the State of Forest Report (1989), the country had 2,57,409 km (7.83% of the geographical area) under the open forest category, with a density ranging from 10% to less than 40%. However, in 30 years (2019) it has been increased to 3,04,499 sq km (9.26%). This means that on an average about 1.57 lakh hectares of forest were destroyed every year. This erosion highlights the presence of anthropogenic pressures, including encroachment, grazing, fire, that our forests are subject to. Nearly 1.5 million hectares of forests have been diverted for developmental activities since 1980 and about 1.48 million hectares have been lost to encroachers, along with a complex link between poverty and unemployment, India’s forests and forests is witnessing heavy erosion of the harvest. It guarantees people’s participation as a necessary and effective way to achieve the desired goal of carbon sequestration through restoration of forests.

terms of engagement

From pursuing business objectives to supporting people’s needs in a participatory manner (as envisaged in the National Forest Policy, 1988), India, in 1990, introduced local communities in a partnership mode while protecting and managing forests. Tried to join. and restore the wasteland with the concept of care and stake. This concept of joint forest management raised much hope for the states and forest-fringe communities. Later, the concept of Forest Development Agencies was introduced to consolidate efforts in an autonomous model, which paved the way for fund flow to Joint Forest Management Committees from various other sources. Efforts to make this participatory approach operational have resulted in the formation of about 1.18 lakh Joint Forest Management Committees, which manage more than 25 million hectares of forest area. Most of these became active and active implementing various projects financed by external agencies such as the World Bank, the Foreign Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF) Japan, the Department for International Development (DFID) the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU). In the case of national parks, sanctuaries and tiger reserves, a similar system of joint management which existed in the name of eco-development societies, proved effective initially as it could not only obtain the support of these participating communities for the conservation and development of biodiversity but also a significant reduction in human-animal conflicts and protection of forests from fire and grazing.

However, the completion of the project period and the subsequent lack of funding affected their efficiency and the protection of forests was also affected due to lack of support from local communities including concerned NGOs.

Barring the National Mission for Green India, all other centrally sponsored programs such as Project Tiger, Fire Management, Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH) including Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), lack priority and policy support . To ensure the participation of local communities through the institutions of Joint Forest Management Committees gradually made their participation customary. This led to a gradual decline in their effectiveness.

now changed role

The role of the local institutions of the Gram Panchayat or Joint Forest Management Committees is now limited to an advisory institution rather than being a participant in planning and implementation. This apathy and isolation from participatory planning and implementation of various schemes further affects the harmony between forest departments and communities, jeopardizing the protection of forests. This is more relevant when undertaking restoration activities including plantation outside designated forest areas where motivation and encouragement of stakeholders (particularly panchayats and urban local bodies) are important.

As committed in Glasgow, India will have to ‘focus more on climate change and devise strategies and programs to achieve the net zero target’. In addition to reducing emissions in a phased manner – fraught with challenges in itself – approaches to carbon storage and offsetting through natural sinks such as forests should be given equal priority.

Repeat the Telangana Model

In order to achieve net zero goals, due consideration is given to revisiting our existing legal and policy mechanisms, appropriately encouraging local communities and adequate participation of local people in planning and implementation through local institutions. There is a need to ensure the flow of funds for the intervention. Political priority and appropriate policy intervention (as recently in Telangana by amending the Panchayat and Municipal Acts to address environmental concerns and making provision for a Green Fund for tree plantation and related activities, or Telangana Green Fund) to be replicated in other states is required. These should be supported by enabling financial and institutional support mechanisms and dialogue with stakeholders to encourage local communities to promote efforts to conserve and develop forest resources. Although India did not become a signatory to the Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forests and Land Use, the idea of ​​land tenure and forest rights for participating communities, along with accelerated finance, will help step in the race to net zero. This inclusive approach, coupled with political priority, will not only help reduce emissions but will also help in increasing and increasing ‘our forest cover’ to ‘one third of our total area’. It will also protect our ever rich and valuable biological diversity.

Mohan Chandra Pargayan is a Senior IFS Officer, Hyderabad, Telangana. views expressed are personal