Dehradun (The Hawk): Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education is organising a national workshop on agroforestry and farm forestry for sustainable land management under the world bank funded Ecosystem Services Improvement Project at Dehradun. The objective of this workshop to develop the suitable strategies/ frameworks and to provide policy inputs to the Government for addressing issues and challenges for development of agroforestry and farm forestry, and achieving India's national targets and international commitments related to climate change, biodiversity conservation, combating desertification and land degradation and sustainable development goals. Eminent experts from national and international organisations, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, State Forest Departments, forestry and agricultural research institutions of the country, non-governmental organisations, universities, wood-based industries and farmers from various parts of the country are participating in the workshop and sharing their experience in framing the suitable frameworks for promotion of agroforestry and farm forestry for sustainable land and ecosystem management.
Dr.Renu Singh, Director, Forest Research Institute welcomed the Chief Guest of the Workshop and all the delegates of the national workshop and briefed the structure of the national workshop.
Dr. Anupam Joshi, Senior Environment Specialist from the World Bank stated that agroforestry is one of the important nature-based solutions for conservation of natural forest cover of the country as well as enhancing the contribution of forest and tree cover in the GDP of the country as well as to improve the health of forest ecosystem for addressing the issue of climate change, combating land degradation and biodiversity conservation.
Sh. Arun Singh Rawat, Director General of Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education in his address stated that Forest sector is net sink of carbon dioxide in India and removed 15% of the India's greenhouse gas emissions, and forests provide climate change mitigation opportunity at relatively lower costs along with other significant co-benefits. He also stated that agroforestry and farm forestry is the real game changer in increasing the green cover of the country, doubling the farmers income, fulfilling the demands of the wood-based industries as well as play an important role in achieving national targets and international commitments of nationally determined contribution (NDC) forestry sector target, land degradation neutrality targets, global biodiversity goals and sustainable development goals. He also stated that agroforestry and farm forest play an important role in shifting India towards an innovative, resource efficient and carbon neutral economy.He highlighted the importance of this workshop in developing suitable strategies for sustainable management of land resouces.
Sh. Bharat Jyoti, Director, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy stated in his inaugural address as a Chief Guest of the workshop stated that natural forests are safeguarding the ecological balance and some transformative actions need to be taken for promotion of agroforestry and farm forestry in the country. He also stated that polyculture practices need to be adopted promotion of the agroforestry and farm forestry.
The workshop is comprised of the four technical sessions on 'Agroforestry and farm forestry practices for sustainable land and ecosystem management', 'Quality planting materials for scaling up of agroforestry and farm Forestry practices', 'Rationalization of policies and regulatory regimes for development of agroforestry and farm forestry', 'Certification framework and market mechanism for agroforestry and farm forestry', Parallel session on 'Knowledge sharing and learning session for scaling up of agroforestry and farm forestry practices for sustainable land and ecosystem management in the form of exhibition, poster presentation and documentaries' are being conducted in this national workshop. Ms. Kanchan Devi, Director (International Cooperation) and Project Director, ESIP, ICFRE has proposed a formal vote of thanks in the inaugural session of the national workshop.About 200 delegates form various parts of the country, national and international organisations, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, State Forest Departments, universities, NGOs, wood-based industries and farmers are participating in this national workshop.
