Question : Concept of Famillial Forestry

(a) whether India has won the prestigious United Nations Land for Life Award 2021 by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and if so , the details thereof;
(b) whether UNCCD praised Familial Forestry as a unique concept that relates a tree with a family, making it a green family member and if so, the details thereof; and
(c) whetherthe Government has any plan to promote the concept of Familial Forestry in the country for environment conservation and if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) to (c)

Land for Life is an award programmeof United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification(UNCCD),which is conferred every two years. The Land for Life Award aims to provide global recognition to individuals and organizations whose work and initiatives have made a significant contribution to sustainable development through sustainable land management (SLM).Land for life Award 2021 was conferred to the Familial Forestry of Rajasthan, India, by UNCCD on 17th June 2021

Familial Forestry means caring for the tree as a family member so that the tree becomes a part of the family’s consciousness. This movement involved more than a million families from more than 15,000 villages of desert-prone northwest Rajasthan. About 2.5 million saplings have been planted in the past 15 years, with active participation of students and desert dwellers, as per UNCCD.

While conferring the award, UNCCD has stated that, Familial Forestry of Rajasthan, India is a unique concept that relates a tree with a family, making it a green "family member."This green or eco socialization brings environmental sensitivity and empowerment.

The Government has various schemes relating to afforestation/plantation leading to combating desertification and land degradation depending on the climatic and geographical condition of that particular area including schemes of MOEFCC under Twenty Point Programme (TPP) like National Afforestation Programme (NAP), National Mission for a Green India (GIM) etc.

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