The National Forest Policy (NFP) of 1988 sets ambitious national goals aimed at enhancing forest cover in India. Its primary objective is to ensure that at least one-third of India's total land area is covered by forests or tree cover. This initiative is vital for promoting environmental stability, maintaining ecological balance, and conserving natural heritage.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change implements several significant schemes to boost forest and tree cover. Among these are:
These schemes are instrumental in increasing forest cover across the nation.
The National Coastal Mission Programme plays a crucial role in combating land degradation by focusing on the conservation and management of mangroves and coral reefs. This programme formulates and implements annual Management Action Plans (MAPs) for the conservation of mangroves across all coastal states and union territories in India.
To monitor and strategize against land degradation, the Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India, published by the Space Applications Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation, provides comprehensive data on the extent of land degradation. This atlas is a vital resource for state-wise planning and implementation of restoration schemes. Additionally, an online portal developed with SAC helps visualize degraded areas and the processes contributing to degradation.
The Centre of Excellence at the Indian Council for Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) in Dehradun is dedicated to enhancing South-South Cooperation. It focuses on knowledge sharing, promoting best practices, and sharing India's experiences with sustainable land management strategies. The centre also develops transformative project ideas and supports capacity building.
India has made significant commitments under international agreements to combat land degradation. The Bonn Challenge pledges to restore 13 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2020, with an additional 8 million hectares targeted for restoration by 2030. During the UNCCD COP14 in 2019, this commitment was raised to restore 26 million hectares by 2030.
Afforestation efforts in India are tracked under the Twenty Point Programme, reporting the coverage of approximately 18.94 million hectares from 2011-12 to 2021-22. These efforts are supported by various central and state-specific schemes managed by State Governments.
In Tamil Nadu, the Rehabilitation of Coastal Habitat project aims to form bio-shields from 2023-24 to 2025-26 across all coastal districts, including Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, and Nagapattinam. The project includes eco-restoration of existing mangroves over 11.25 Sq.km and new mangrove planting over 3.28 Sq.km. It focuses on raising bio-shield tree species such as Casuarinas, Cashew, Mangrove spp, Palmyrah, and other specialized species. This initiative also emphasizes training, awareness, and local community involvement to ensure its success.
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