STRATEGY FOR INCREASE IN FOREST AND TREE COVER

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STRATEGY FOR INCREASE IN FOREST AND TREE COVER

• MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS
• 12 February 2008

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• Support for 1/3rd Forest / Tree Cover
• Opportunities
• Constraints
• Govt. of Indias initiatives
• For discussion Initiatives by the States

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• National Forest Policy 1988 (Para 4.1 Area Under
  Forests)
• National goal 1/3rd of the total land area under
  Forest or Tree Cover (FTC)
• In the hills and the mountainous regions
  maintain 2/3rd of the area under FTC
• National Environment Policy 2006
• Formulate an innovative strategy for increasing
  FTC
• Forestation, and promotion of agro- and farm
  forestry where their risk-return-term profiles
  are more favourable than cropping, and
• universal adoption of participatory practices

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Congruence with National Development Priorities

• 11th Five Year Plan Faster and inclusive growth
• Intra-generational Inequalities
• Regional
• Socio-economic (e.g. in HCR, PGI)
• Inter-generational Inequalities
• Faster growth ? widen demand-supply gap
• Access to basic facilities and infrastructure
• Clean drinking water
• Renewable and secure resource base for
• Food security transient as well as chronic
• Consistent with other sectoral policies
• National Agricultural Policy 2000
• National Land Use Policy Outline 1986
• National Policy for Farmers 2007
• National Rainfed Area Authority 2007
• Draft National Tribal Policy 2007
• New and Renewable Energy policies

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• Forest Tree Cover Achievement Targets
• 2003 23.68 (but, Dense Forest Cover decline)
• 2007 25 (expected)
• 2012 Target 5
• Beyond 11th Plan 33
• Tree planting under 20 Point Programme
• TPP-1986 Public and Private Land planting
• Average achievement 1.6 million ha/ year
• TPP-2006 Only public land planting
• Target for 2007-08 1.8 million ha
• Requirement 4x

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OPPORTUNITIES

• Lands for tree planting
• (A) Inside forest
• 5 million ha. (SFR 2003)
• (B) Outside forest
• 37 m. ha. culturable non-forest wastelands
  (Wastelands Atlas 2005, NRSA)
• Land under Desertification 105 m ha 85 m ha in
  Drylands (DSM Atlas, ISRO) Tree planting most
  suitable in-
• Water Erosion 34 m. ha.
• (highest risk hot spot hydrological hazards,
  GEO4)
• Vegetal Degradation 32 m. ha.
• Similar figures arrived at by NBLUSS

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Opportunities land (contd.)

• Large area of abandoned / highly degraded
  shifting cultivation lands (north east and
  eastern India) where edible and non-edible oil
  tree crops cultivation and value-chain possible
• Equally large area in cold arid and semi-arid
  regions, where wild fruit tree / shrub
  cultivation and value-chain possible
• Available land concentrated in high poverty
  regions AP, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand
  (partner States
• Agro-forestry most suitable for-
• 55 million agricultural holdings
• Net area sown 145 million ha
• Sizeable lands with Govt. deptts. and PSUs

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Constraints

• Insufficient financial resources
• Requirement Rs. 8500 Cr. per year (approx. US2.2
  billion)
• Availability Mostly budgetary support Rs. 1600
  crores per year (1/5th of the requirement)
• Poor linkages with enterprise-based models
• Secondary (higher order processing) and tertiary
  (value-chain) services activities - poor at
  national level, non-existent in forest-fringe
  areas
• Weak RD, and extension
• Scientific, bio-technological and industrial
  technology for applied small-scale forestry weak
  incentives for private RD
• Negligible extension of available technologies
• Non-existent forums for wider sharing of
  community-based best practices, indigenous
  technologies, private RD efforts

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GOVERNANCE REFORMS(i) Rationalization of
Felling Transit Rules
ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE ?

• Rationalization of regulations relating to
  felling and transit of trees grown on private
  lands MoEF Guidelines dated 15 Dec04 of Graded
  Restrictions

ORIGIN ?
RESTRICTION SCALE
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Other Policy Initiatives

• Insurance for Tree Growers (less information
  asymmetry, lower moral hazard than agriculture
  crop) ? risk reduced
• Certification of forest products (promote modern,
  transparent, neutral and specialized markets) ?
  discover better price for the growers/ pr.
  collectors
• Rationalization of EXIM tariff ? incentives to
  domestic growers up to WTO limits

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Other Policy Initiatives (contd.)

• Formation of Spot/ Futures Markets (establish
  easily accessible, neutral trade) ? reduce
  uncertainty, better planning by growers/
  collectors ? discover better price
• Capital mobilization at FDA level (FDAs may
  borrow funds etc. and invest in JFMCs forests) ?
  sustainable finance
• Close linkage with others in production sector
  (open opportunities for increased and secured
  livelihoods options)

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Other Policy Initiatives (contd.)

• Research, Development and Extension (establish
  farmer friendly protocols and extend through
  Vigyan Kendras) ? assured higher productivity
• Mass awareness (formulate and implement
  comprehensive Communication Strategy and Media
  Plan focus - farmer, youth, women theme
  economic benefits) ? broad public participation
• Review and Monitoring (central, state and
  district level) ? coordinated effort for
  time-bound result

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Programmatic Initiatives

• Enhanced Allocation
• National Afforestation Programme Rs. 2000 crores
• NAEB Eco Task Force Scheme Rs. 250 crores
• New Scheme (Gram Van Yojana for tree planting on
  non forestlands involving Panchayati Raj
  Institutions) ? Rs. 900 crores
• Greater decentralisation (Guidelines of NAP
  scheme being modified to decentralize scrutiny to
  States)
• Closer linkage with other sectors
• Availability of funds under NREGS (Suggestions
  solicited for amendment in NREGS guidelines)
• Linkage of JFMCs with schemes of other Ministries
  for value-addition and marketing of products

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Institutional Set-up

• State-level
• Chief Secretary level inter-departmental
  coordination committee ? collective learning and
  adaptive governance (effective learning and
  bridging organisation)
• Project Implementation level
• Forest Development Agencies
• JFM Committees for forest areas ? need for
  consolidation
• PRIs for non-forest areas
• RD and Extension
• ICFRE and ICAR system DBT sponsored research
• Krishi Vigyan Kendras (Bridging Organisations)
• National Communication Plan for Increased Tree
  Planting

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AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION

• Action taken by States
• Policy initiatives
• Augmentation of budgetary resources of forest
  department
• Access to resources of other schemes
• Institutional mechanisms for coordination and
  monitoring

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Thank you!!