National forest policy

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19-Dec-2022: Promotion of Forestry

The National Forest Policy (NFP) 1988 envisages the national goal to have a minimum of one- third of the total land area under forest or tree cover and two-third of the area under such cover in the hill and mountainous regions of the country. In consonance with NFP, 1988, the Ministry has been taking several initiatives for promoting forestry including fallow lands. The Ministry is implementing, the Centrally Sponsored Scheme, National Mission for a Green India (GIM) on landscape approach also covers fallow lands  in which  appropriate interventions as applicable are taken up by the concerned implementing agencies

Government is implementing several schemes/programmes to combat desertification through increasing forest cover. Various afforestation related schemes implemented by Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and other ministries aim at increasing and improving forest and tree cover. MoEF&CC supports the States/Union Territories for carrying out various afforestation activities through Centrally Sponsored Scheme for conservation, development and promotion of forests under its major schemes namely, National Mission for a Green India (GIM) and Forest Fire Protection & Management Scheme (FFPM). Compensatory afforestation under CAMPA has also been used to increase forest cover across the country. State Governments also implement various schemes for restoration of degraded forest areas.

Mangroves are the first line of defence for coastal communities. They stabilize shorelines by slowing erosion and provide natural barriers protecting coastal communities from increased storm surge, flooding, and hurricanes. The Government of India has taken steps to protect sustain, conserve and augment forests in the country through promotional as well as regulatory measures. The promotional measures are being implemented through a Central Sector Scheme under National Coastal Mission Programme on ‘Conservation and Management of Mangroves and Coral Reefs’. Under this programme, annual Management Action Plan (MAP) for conservation and management of mangroves are formulated and implemented in all the coastal States and Union Territories.

The Government under Centrally sponsored scheme for conservation & Management of Mangroves, extend assistance to Coastal State/UTs for implementation of action plans including survey and demarcation, alternation and supplementary livelihood, protection measures and education and awareness activities. The Ministry piloted an Integrated Coastal Zone management Project in Coastal stretches of three states namely Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal, with objective of Conservation and Protection of Coastal resources which included plantation of mangroves as one of the major activities.

4-Apr-2022: Assessment of Forest

The National Forest Policy 1988 envisages to have a minimum of one-third of the total land area of the country under forest or tree cover. Continuous efforts are being made to achieve the goals as envisaged in the National Forest Policy and over the years the Forest and Tree cover of the country has been showing a positive trend. This increase may be attributed to plantation/ afforestation activities, better conservation and protection measures, natural regeneration and enhancement of existing forests.

The Forest Cover reported in India State of Forest Report does not make any distinction between the origin of tree crops (whether natural or manmade) or tree species, and encompasses all types of lands irrespective of their ownership, land use and legal status. Thus all the tree species along with bamboos, fruit bearing trees, coconut palm trees etc. on all the areas including forest, private, community, government or institutional land where coverage is more than one hectare and canopy density is more than 10% are termed as Forest Cover.

As per decision 19/Conference of Parties (CoP) 9-Kyoto Protocol, the forest can be defined by any country depending upon the capacities and capabilities of the country as follows:-

Forest- Forest is defined structurally on the basis of

  • Crown cover percentage: Tree crown cover- 10 to 30% (India 10%)
  • Minimum area of stand: area between 0.05 and 1 hectare (India 1.0 hectare) and
  • Minimum height of trees: Potential to reach a minimum height at maturity in situ of 2 to 5 m (India 2m)

India’s definition of forest for India State of Forest Report (ISFR) purposes has been taken on the basis of above three criteria only and very well accepted by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for their reporting/communications.