Context-

Adopting effective forest management strategies will provide a sustainable and cost-effective solution, significantly advancing India's net-zero emissions goal and mitigating the impacts of climate change. To meet these goals, India is undergoing a significant renewable energy transition, aiming to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030 and derive 50 percent of its electricity from non-fossil fuel sources by the same year.

Current Energy Landscape

India is one of the fastest-growing developing countries and will continue to rely on conventional fossil fuels such as coal. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation's Energy Statistics 2024 report highlighted that in FY23, coal-generated energy constituted about 77.01 percent of the total energy generation, with coal-fired power expected to meet 68 percent of the demand by 2026. Therefore, to accelerate its path towards the net-zero target by 2070, India must pursue diverse alternative solutions.

Importance of Terrestrial Carbon Sinks

• Role of Forests : Research indicates that terrestrial carbon sinks, like forests, offer a powerful and effective method to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas driving climate change. The global recognition of the need for forest conservation is reflected in the focus of the 2024 World Environment Day, which emphasizes accelerating land restoration, drought resilience, and combatting desertification.
• Current Forest Cover and Deforestation : However, between 2001 and 2023, India lost 2.33 million hectares of tree cover, resulting in a 6-percent decline in tree cover and 1.20 Gt of CO2 emissions. The new government has the opportunity to correct this course and accelerate India’s progress toward a net-zero future. Meeting the climate pledge requires India to increase its tree cover by 12 percent over the next decade. How can the new government ensure effective strategies for the preservation, conservation, and restoration of its forest cover, both ecologically and socially?

Redefining Forests in India

• Current Definition and Its Flaws : First and foremost, there is an urgent need to redefine what constitutes a ‘forest’ in India. The Forest Survey of India currently uses satellite imagery and remote sensing data to define forests as any land patch with a tree canopy density of more than 10 percent and an area exceeding one hectare, regardless of land use, ownership, or tree species. However, this method fails to differentiate between plantations and natural forests. As a result, any tree cover, whether bamboo, coffee, orchards, or urban parks, is classified as ‘forests.’

• Importance of Native Forests : Unlike plantations, native forests are intricate ecosystems featuring 30-40 different tree species, products of millions of years of evolution, and specific regional biophysical features. They serve as the most effective carbon sinks. Thus, a mere tree canopy cannot be considered a forest.

Consequences of Deforestation

• Impact on Land and Population

○ Over the past two decades, India has experienced significant deforestation, resulting in the degradation of over 30 percent of its land and the loss of 2.33 million hectares of forest cover.

○  This deforestation impacts more than a fifth of the country's population, who rely on forests for their livelihoods. The consequences of deforestation and land degradation are far-reaching, affecting agricultural productivity, water quality, and biodiversity, and ultimately impacting over 600 million people in India.

• Diversion of Forest Land

○    The rapid diversion of forestland for non-forest purposes has led India to approve over 88,903 hectares in the last five years more than the combined area of Mumbai and Kolkata. The largest allocation, over 19,424 hectares, has been for road construction, followed by mining, irrigation projects, transmission lines, and defense projects.

○  India's Compensatory Afforestation Programme assumes forests can be replaced elsewhere, allowing project clearances in exchange for monetary compensation used for afforestation on non-forest land. Since 2015, the government has rejected fewer than 1 percent of forest diversion proposals.

• Ineffectiveness of Current Afforestation Efforts

○ To compensate for the loss of ‘forests’, India’s afforestation program currently focuses on large-scale monoculture plantations of non-native, commercial species like eucalyptus, acacia, and teak. These plantations lack the biodiversity, ecological value, and longevity of natural forests. They have minimal carbon sequestration capacity and often emit carbon when the wood is burned.

○     Despite efforts, this program has been largely ineffective, as evidenced by the decline of 1,582 sq km in moderately dense forests from the ISFR 2021 report, coupled with a 2,621 sq km increase in open forest areas.

Developing a Robust Policy Framework

• Curating Deforestation and Enhancing Ecological Values

○  India should develop a robust policy framework for forest management that curtails deforestation while enhancing ecological and biodiversity values. Implementing the Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM) framework on a large scale could facilitate a thorough analysis of spatial, legal, and socioeconomic data, enabling optimal forest restoration interventions.

• Effective Implementation and Monitoring

○Establishing stringent institutional mechanisms for the effective implementation, utilization, and monitoring of funds. In the recent past, numerous instances of CAMPA fund misuse and inadequate monitoring by states have surfaced, underscoring the need for robust oversight.

• Leveraging Emerging Technologies

○     For instance, the remote forest-monitoring system SmartForest developed by Treevia uses wireless electronic sensors to track the real-time growth of Brazil’s forests.

○ Additionally, geo-tagging technology can serve as a valuable tool for online recording, monitoring, and preventing leakages, as well as for efficient mapping of forest landscapes.

• Recognizing and Formalizing Community Knowledge

○ Lastly, regenerating or afforesting lands requires the support of local communities, who can manage and oversee adaptive management practices. Recognizing and formalizing community knowledge systems and efforts in forest stewardship is essential.

○Farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) systems, where local communities protect and manage naturally regenerating trees, have demonstrated significant economic and ecosystem benefits across many states. Such initiatives need to be formalized and institutionalized at scale.

○In India, models like the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development’s (NABARD) ‘Wadi’ project and the Foundation for Ecological Security’s re-greening of village commons project have proven effective.

○     Learn from international practices, Forests are part of Bhutan’s sacred cultural heritage, and the government follows a climate-smart forest economy.

Conclusion

Adopting effective forest management strategies is crucial for India’s sustainable development and climate goals. By redefining forests, curbing deforestation, enhancing native forest restoration, and involving local communities, India can significantly advance its net-zero emissions target and mitigate climate change impacts. Implementing these strategies will ensure ecological balance, improve biodiversity, and support the livelihoods of millions, creating a resilient and sustainable future for the country.

Source- ORF