Forests are the green lungs of the nation and provide various ecological services

like clean air, water, maintenance of soil-moisture regime by checking soil

erosion etc. Forests maintain environment stability and ecological balance.

Natural forests with the vast variety of flora and fauna are hub of biodiversity.

Forests directly sequester Carbon dioxide from atmosphere and play a critical

role in checking global warming and climate change. Forests check extension of

sand-dunes preventing desertification. Healthy forest eco-systems are

necessary for reversal of land degradation in the country.

As per India State of Forest Report (ISFR), 2017 total forest and tree cover is

8,02,088 sq km which is 24.39% of total geographical area of India. Forest

cover is classified into three density classes viz. Very Dense Forest (canopy

density >70%), Moderately Dense Forest (canopy density 40% to 70%) and Open

Forest (canopy density 10% to 40%). India is endowed with rich forest types like

Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests, Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests, Tropical Dry

Deciduous, Sub Tropical Dry Evergreen Forests, Himalayan Moist Temperate

Forests, Sub-Alpine and Alpine Scrub Forests etc.

India has developed a strong legal and policy framework for Forestry sector for

sustainable forest governance through National Forest Policy, 1988, Indian

Forest Act, 1927, Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and Wildlife (Protection)

Act, 1972. National Forest Policy, 1988 sets a strategy of forest conservation

with principal aim of ensuring environmental stability and maintenance of

ecological balance by bringing a minimum of one-third of total land area of the

country under forest or tree cover. National Forest Policy is now under revision

to incorporate issues those have gained importance in last few decades.

Working Plans are the main instrument of forest management in the country

for scientific management of forests. These are very useful document for

evaluating the status of forests and biodiversity resources of forest division. These

assess the impact of past management practices and prescribe suitable

management interventions for future. Mechanisms to revise working plans are

essential to keep pace with the trends emerging out of forest–people interface

and to address national and international obligations. Currently all working

plans are prepared according to National Working Plan Code, 2014.

As per the National Forest Policy, 1988, participation of local community living

in and around the forest areas is essential for the conservation and developmentof forests. In order to implement this policy, the Government of India issued a

clear Guideline develop and manage degraded forest land under the custody of

State Forest Departments (SFDs) with the help of the local communities and

voluntary organizations. In pursuance of these guideline, states came out with

their own resolutions on Joint Forest Management (JFM) in the state

Most of the State Forest Departments notified their resolutions in early 90s and

as of now 1, 18,000 of Joint Forest Management Committees(JFMC) have been

constituted all over the country to develop and manage 22 million of hectares

of degraded forestlands. The Government of India through its National

Afforestation and Eco-development Board also provide 100% central grant for

Forest Development Agency (FDA), which is a federated body of JFMCs and

State Forest Development Agency (SFDA), which is a consolidated body of FDAs

in the state. For the management of the Wildlife Protected Areas, Eco

Development Committees (EDCs) are also formed to ensure people participation

in wildlife conservation.

Using legal instruments and community participation for protection and

implementation of schemes for improvement of forests and by undertaking

various afforestation and reforestation programs, India has been able to stabilize

forest and tree cover in the country. Forest cover has increased from 6.38.804

sq km(19.43%) as per India State of Forest (ISFR) 1989 to 7,08,273 (21.54%)

as per ISFR 2017. The assessment of tree cover was started since 2001. The

total tree cover outside forests was estimated 81,472 sq km (2.48%) as per ISFR

2001 which has increased to 93,815 sq km (2.85 %) as per ISFR 2017

assessment.

Forestry sector is facing many challenges like forest fires, illegal felling of trees,

illegal grazing, encroachments on forest lands, degradation of forest

eco-systems etc. All protection related issues of forest and wildlife sector are

dealt in Indian Forest Act, 1927, Wildlife Protection Act 1972, Forest

Conservation Act,1980 etc.

Many development and industrial projects such as dams, mining, industries,

roads etc require diversion of forest land. Project proponent whether

government or private have to obtain prior approval from Ministry of

Environment, Forests and Climate Change(MoEF&CC).

A Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority

(CAMPA) has been constituted to promote afforestation and regenerationactivities for compensating for forest land diverted to non-forest uses. In states

State CAMPA has been constituted to receive CAMPA funds collected from user

agencies towards compensatory afforestation, additional compensatory

afforestation, penal compensatory afforestation, Net Present Value (NPV) and

all other amounts recovered from such agencies under the Forest (Conservation)

Act, 1980. These funds are utilized for compensatory afforestation, assisted

natural regeneration, conservation and protection of forests, infrastructure

development, wildlife conservation and protection and other related activities.

India has been participating in several international summits and conventions

on conservation and sustainable development of forest, wildlife and

environment. India is actively representing on various international forums on

forestry matters viz. United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), Committee on

Forestry (COFO) of Food & Agriculture organization (FAO) of the United Nations,

Asia Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC) of FAO, Centre for International

Forestry Research (CIFOR), Asia Pacific Forest Invasive Species Network

(APFISN), International Poplar Commission of FAO, UN-REDD of United

Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change etc. India has contributed

positively to the various conventions on forest and wildlife sector.