India's Forest Success Story at FAO COFO 28

Why in News?

India highlighted its significant achievements in sustainable forest management (SFM), ecological restoration, and climate action at the 28th Session of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO 28), held in Rome, Italy.

About the Committee on Forestry (COFO)

• COFO is the highest-level global intergovernmental statutory body on forestry within the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
• Membership: Brings together 128 FAO Members.
• Meetings: Held biennially at the FAO headquarters in Rome.
• Mandate:
• Identifies emerging policy and technical issues in forestry.
• Seeks solutions and advises the FAO and its member nations on effective sustainable forest management.
• Global Agenda Role: Plays a crucial role in shaping agendas for:
• UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030)
• Proposed UN Decade for Afforestation and Reforestation (2027–2036)

COFO 28 Highlights

• Theme: "Forests for food, resilience and prosperity".
• India presented its progress on global climate commitments, biodiversity finance, and landscape restoration.
• India highlighted Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) as an integrated framework for landscape-level restoration, while considering national circumstances and local community needs.

India's Key Forestry and Restoration Achievements

Forest and Tree Cover

• India's total forest and tree cover has reached 82.74 million hectares, encompassing 25.17% of the nation's geographical landmass.

Global Rankings (FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment – FRA 2025)

• 9th globally in total forest area.
• 3rd globally in net annual forest area gain.

Bonn Challenge

• India committed to restoring 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030.
• 21.76 million hectares have already been brought under active restoration.

Climate Commitments (Nationally Determined Contributions)

• India successfully created an additional carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2021.
• India ranked 5th among the top global carbon sinks, with its forests removing 150 Mt of CO₂ per year during 2021–2025.
• India's updated NDC (2031–2035) upgraded its target to achieve a cumulative sink of 3.5 to 4.0 billion tonnes by 2035 (relative to 2005 levels).

Targeted Landscape Initiatives

• Aravalli Green Wall Project: Approximately 6.45 million hectares of degraded arid land identified across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi for eco-restoration to combat desertification.
• MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes): Actively restoring coastal ecosystems to bolster climate resilience and local livelihoods.

Wetland Conservation

• India expanded its domestic network of internationally recognized Ramsar Sites to 101 designated wetlands.

Mass Mobilization

• Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (Plant4Mother) campaign: A whole-of-society initiative mobilizing nationwide participation to plant over 3.5 billion saplings.

Significance for India

• Global Climate Leadership: Reinforces India's credibility in fulfilling commitments under the Paris Agreement and its NDCs.
• Land Degradation Neutrality: Progress under the Bonn Challenge supports India's commitment to restore degraded land, aligned with UNCCD goals.
• Co-benefits: Forest restoration enhances biodiversity, water security, livelihoods, and carbon sequestration.
• Soft Power: Positions India as a leader of the Global South in sustainable forest management and ecosystem restoration.

Related Constitutional and Legal Provisions

• Forests and wildlife were moved to the Concurrent List by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976.
• Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, now replaced by the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 2023.
• National Forest Policy, 1988: Envisages a goal of 33% forest cover.
• Flagship programmes: National Afforestation Programme, Green India Mission, National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).

Key Terms for Prelims