Context:
Every year on March 21, the world celebrates the International Day of Forests to celebrate all types of forests, recognise the importance of trees and forests, and take action to protect them.
About International Day of Forests:
- In 1971, the 16th session of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) voted to constitute “World Forestry Day” and later, the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) held World Forest Days for six years from 2007 to 2012.
- In year 2012, the United Nations declared March 21 as the International Day of Forests (IDF) to celebrate and raise awareness about the vital role of forests.
- The theme for this year is “Forests and Food,” which emphasizes the deep connection between forests and global food security.
Forest Cover in India:
- The Forest and Tree cover of the country is 8,27,357 sq km which is 25.17 percent of the geographical area of the country, consisting of 7,15,343 sq km (21.76%) as forest cover and 1,12,014 sq km (3.41%) as tree cover.
- Area wise top three states having largest forest cover are Madhya Pradesh (77,073 sq km) followed by Arunachal Pradesh (65,882 sq km) and Chhattisgarh (55,812 sq km).
- Top four states showing maximum increase in forest and tree cover are Chhattisgarh (684 sq km) followed by Uttar Pradesh (559 sq km), Odisha (559 sq km) and Rajasthan (394 sq km).
- Top three states showing maximum increase in forest cover are Mizoram (242 sq km) followed by Gujarat (180 sq km) and Odisha (152 sq km).
India’s Major Initiatives in Forestry:
National Agroforestry Policy: The Government of India introduced the National Agroforestry Policy in 2014 to promote tree plantation in farmland.
- The scheme emphasizes the production and distribution of Quality Planting Material (QPM) through nurseries and tissue culture units.
- The ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute (CAFRI) is the nodal agency responsible for providing technical support, certification, and training.
- The scheme supports farmers through price guarantees and buy-back options for farm-grown trees.
Green India Mission:
- The Green India Mission (GIM) also known as National Mission for a Green India, is a key part of India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). It is one of the eight missions under NAPCC.
- The mission aims to protect, restore, and enhance India’s forest cover while tackling climate change. The activities under GIM were started in the FY 2015-16.
GIM has five sub-missions, each focused on a different aspect of greening:
- Enhancing Forest Cover
- Ecosystem Restoration
- Urban Greening
- Agro-Forestry & Social Forestry
- Wetland Restoration
- The Green India Mission is working on the Ecosystem Services Improvement Project (ESIP), a World Bank-backed initiative in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
Van Dhan Yojana:
- Launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED, the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY) aims to improve the livelihood of tribal communities by enhancing the value of forest produce.
- Under this initiative, tribal communities form Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs), each consisting of 300 members from 15 Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
- These Kendras serve as hubs for processing, value addition, and marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFPs).
- The scheme is a centrally funded, with ₹15 lakh allocated per Kendra. Tribal members contribute ₹1,000 each to ensure ownership.
Significance of the day:
- On International Day of Forests, countries and organisations “undertake local, national and international efforts to organise various activities for afforestation and promote the healthy use of forest resources.”
- By safeguarding forests, and ensuring their sustained survival, our economies, ecosystems, and species will also continue to thrive.
- According to a UN study, forests can lift about 1 billion people out of poverty, and they can also create an additional 80 million green jobs.
- Approximately 2.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, one-third of the CO2 released from burning fossil fuels, is absorbed by forests every year.