This photo shows a shack next to a forest in Lhong, Aceh province, Indonesia, on March 21, 2023. , photo credit: AFP
Humanity today faces many global challenges. These include the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic hardships, international conflict, food insecurity, poverty, climate change, land degradation, water pollution, and biodiversity loss. The world is now looking for solutions that are cost-effective, equitable and easy to implement. Forests have an important contribution to make in addressing many of the challenges mentioned above. Forests have the potential to combat climate change and provide a range of ecosystem services that can support livelihoods for rural communities.
The United Nations General Assembly declared 21 March as the International Day of Forests (IDF) in 2012. Thus aligning with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (good health and well-being) and SDG 15 (life on land).
Forests are of global importance. Forests provide habitat for 80% of amphibian species, 75% of bird species and 68% of mammal species. More than 18% of the total forest area is in legally established protected areas. Nevertheless, forest biodiversity is under threat from deforestation and forest degradation.
The latest report on the State of the World’s Forests (2022) by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations states that forests cover 31% (4.06 billion hectares) of the Earth’s land surface, but this area covers 420 million hectares. Shrinking with hectares. Deforestation caused forest loss between 1990 and 2020. The rate of deforestation is decreasing but was still 10 million hectares per year during the period 2015–2020.
Climate change is a major threat to forest health and it manifests itself in many ways. For example, there are signs that the incidence and severity of wildfires and pests are increasing. The COVID-19 pandemic also had a significant impact on forest value chains and trade in early 2020. There is a possible long-term link between forests and disease. More than 30% of new diseases since 1960 have been attributed to land-use change, including deforestation, and 15% of 250 emerging infectious diseases are linked to forests. Deforestation, especially in tropical regions, is associated with an increase in infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue. Furthermore, around 90% of deforestation worldwide is driven by agricultural expansion such as converting forests to arable land or grassland for livestock grazing. The FAO Report on the State of the World’s Forests (2022) suggests three forest-based pathways as a means to address local to global challenges—first, halting deforestation and maintaining forests; second, to restore wasteland and expand agroforestry; And last but not least, using forests sustainably and creating a green value chain.
The Government of India (GoI) has launched a global movement on Lifestyle for Environment (LIFE), or Mission LIFE. It is aimed at mobilizing at least one billion Indians and other global citizens to take individual and collective action to protect and preserve the environment. In India, it is intended to make at least 80% of all villages and urban local bodies eco-friendly by 2028.
According to the Economic Survey of India (2022-23), one of the quantifiable targets of India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) is to achieve an additional carbon sink of 2.5 billion to 3.0 billion tonnes through additional forest and tree cover by 2030. To do. The country ranks third globally with respect to net gains in average annual forest area between 2010 and 2020. This gain is mainly attributed to the strong framework and policies of the Government of India and State Governments that have promoted and protected forests. National Afforestation Program (NAP), Green India Mission (GIM), Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), Green Highways Policy-2015, Policy for Increasing Urban Green Areas, National Agro-Forestry Policy and Sub-Agri- Mission on Forestry (SMAF).
A robust forest ecosystem serves as an important carbon sink. The Indian State of Forest Report (ISFR) estimates that the carbon stock of forests (that is, the amount of carbon sequestered from the atmosphere and stored in biomass, deadwood, soil and litter in forests) in 2019 will be about 7,204 million tonnes. Which is an increase of 79.4 million tonnes of carbon stock compared to the 2017 estimates. Among Indian states, Arunachal Pradesh has the highest carbon stock in forests (1023.84 million tonnes), followed by Madhya Pradesh (609.25 million tonnes).
FAO complements the Indian government’s efforts to conserve forest landscapes by promoting sustainable agricultural food systems. FAO works in 8 states, namely Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand to promote crop diversification and landscape restoration. These efforts seek to mainstream biodiversity conservation, climate change, and sustainable land management objectives and practices into Indian agriculture to enhance multiple global environmental benefits (GEBs). Such actions support harmony between India’s agriculture and environment sector priorities and investments to strengthen rural livelihoods and achieve national and GEB goals without compromising India’s ability to meet its food and nutritional security needs. to be fully realized.
Directing funds to realign long-term policies aimed at governments and business entities to create sustainable and green jobs and drive private sector investment, and to empower and encourage local actors to take a leading role in forest pathways is required.
Healthy forests are important for all aspects of a healthy planet, from livelihoods and nutrition to biodiversity and the environment, but they face risks. It is up to us to protect these priceless natural resources.
Dr. Konda Reddy Chavva is the Officer-in-Charge of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representation in India.