(a) whether the destruction of forest is the main reason for change in climate in the country and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government proposes to implement schemes for afforestation to check climate change and if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has implemented/proposes to implement schemes through State Governments for afforestation by providing financial assistance; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)
(a) No Sir. In fact, India has succeeded in stabilizing and enhancing her forest cover. According to India State of Forest Report 2013, the total forest and tree cover of India is 789,164 sq.km, which is 24.01% of the geographical area of the country. There is an increase of 5,871 sq km in the forest cover of India in comparison to 2011 assessment. As per India’s Second National Communication, Land Use Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) category was a net sink of carbon dioxide in India and removed 222,567 Gigagrams of carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere in the year 2000. India’s successful endeavour in expanding forest cover is widely acknowledged. An effective Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, further strengthened by the National Forest Policy, 1988, a massive afforestation programme, establishment of biosphere reserves, and re-vegetation of degraded lands through Joint Forest Management and people’s participation, account for success in forestry based climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation.
(b) National Mission for a Green India (GIM) is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) aimed at mitigation of adverse effects of climate change in India with a holistic view of increasing forest/tree cover, focusing on carbon sequestration targets as well as on multiple ecosystem services, especially, biodiversity, water, biomass etc.
The Mission aims at both increasing the forest & tree cover by 5 mha, as well as increasing the quality of the existing forest cover in another 5 mha through five sub-missions (a) enhancing quality of forest cover and improving ecosystem services, (b) ecosystem restoration and increase in forest cover, (c) enhancing tree cover in urban and peri-urban areas, (d) agro-forestry and social-forestry, and (e) restoration of wetlands and one intervention i.e. promoting use of alternative fuel energy (biogas, solar devices, LPG, biomass-based systems, improved stoves) to reduce dependency on fuel wood.
(c) and (d) The Mission will be implemented on a decentralized participatory approach with involvement of grass-root level organizations in planning, decision making, implementation and monitoring by the Gram Sabha and the Committees mandated by the Gram Sabha, including Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) at village level, Forest Development Agency (FDA) at district/division level and State Forest Development Agency at the State/U.T. level. This Centrally Sponsored Scheme was approved in February 2014 for a total cost of Rs 13,000 crore, having a plan outlay of Rs 2,000 crore for the 12th Five Year Plan (FYP) with a spillover of 1 year in the 13th FYP along with Rs 400 crore from 13th Finance Commission Grants towards State''s Share. The Ministry is also implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme “National Afforestation Programme (NAP)’’ for regeneration of degraded forests and adjoining areas through people’s participation in the country. The scheme is being implemented through a decentralized mechanism of State Forest Development Agency (SFDA) at State level, Forest Development Agency (FDA) at Forest Division level and JFMCs at Village level. The State-wise details of fund released under NAP Scheme is given in Annexure.
***