Urgent need to halt deforestation, check further land degradation by 2030: UN forum on forests

NEW DELHI: There is an urgent need to halt deforestation and prevent further land degradation by 2030 for the world to stay on the path of sustainable development, UN Forum on Forests said in a declaration at the conclusion of its 19th session on Friday.

The declaration, which is yet to be released, also reaffirmed the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-30 as a global framework for action to protect and sustainably manage forests and trees outside forests, to halt deforestation and forest degradation and contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other international forest-related instruments, processes, commitments and goals.

During the meeting, India shared the launch of its Green Credit Programme that provides incentives to entities to take up tree plantation and restoration of degraded forests, the environment ministry said on Sunday.

“During the session, India highlighted the country’s significant advancements in forest conservation and sustainable forest management which led to consistent increase in forest cover over the past 15 years. Globally, India ranks third in the net gain, in average annual forest area, between 2010 and 2020,” it said.

However, both the increase in the country’s forest cover, due to ambiguities in definition, and the Green Credit Programme, have been issues of contention.

Corporations and other private entities can take up plantations on degraded land, including open forest and scrub land, wasteland and catchment areas of water bodies identified by state forest departments, a notification by the ministry said, in a move that has attracted criticism from experts and environmentalists who point out that a lot of such land already has thriving biodiversity, which will now be at risk from plantations, HT reported on February 27.

The plantations will help generate green credits, which can be traded and used as leadership indicators under corporate social responsibility, the February 22 notification said.

The ministry issued a draft notification on trading in green credits in June last year. Green Credit Rules, 2023 were notified under various sections of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, on October 12. The Centre on February 26 notified the methodology to calculate green credits against tree plantations.

The February 22 notification stated that the land parcel identified for plantation must be at least five acres and free from all encumbrances. Any person or entity undertaking tree plantation to generate green credits may apply to the administrator overseeing the programme, who will assign land identified by forest department to the applicant and ask for a proposal for undertaking tree plantation for green credits. The administrator will then issue a demand note on the cost of plantation and other costs to the applicant. Once this is paid, the forest department will carry out tree plantation in line with the management plan.

The issue of forest cover has been contentious because experts have said India’s definition of forest cover counts plantations and orchards as well. The government considers an area of one hectare or more with at least 10% canopy cover, irrespective of land use and ownership, including all land that meets the forest thresholds — tree crops, fruit orchards, bamboo and agroforestry — as a forest. India’s definition of forests is accepted by UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Food and Agriculture Organisation for their reporting and communications, according to the Forest Survey of India.