Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management: a Strategy for India
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SUSTAINABLE FOREST ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT: A STRATEGY FOR INDIA MAY 2016 This publication is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of Tetra Tech ARD and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. SUSTAINABLE FOREST ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT: A STRATEGY FOR INDIA PHOTO CREDITS Dakshinamurthy V & Sushil Saigal, Forest-PLUS PREPARED BY TetraTech ARD for the Forest-PLUS Program CONTRACT NO. AID-386-C-12-00002 CONTACTS Sushil Saigal, Institutional Development & Governance Advisor ([email protected]) Gina Green, Project Manager ([email protected]) Leif Kindberg, Deputy Project Manager ([email protected]) TetraTech ARD P.O. Box 1397 Burlington, VT 05402 Tel +1 802-658-3890 SUSTAINABLE FOREST ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT: A STRATEGY FOR INDIA EXECUTIVE SUMMARY There is an international consensus that the sustainable to be a major challenge. Convergence with relevant management of forest ecosystems contributes towards ongoing initiatives and utilization of existing policy human well-being. The ecosystem services that forests and legal spaces is likely to improve the odds of provide meet people’s economic, cultural and spiritual acceptance and adoption of this strategy by relevant needs at local, national and global levels. stakeholder groups and enhance the possibility of its implementation on the ground. Developing or adapting India is among the top ten forested countries in the innovative forest management models, tools and world. The total forest and tree cover in the country techniques from different parts of India as well as other is over 78 million hectares, or 23.8% of the country’s countries will help bring national and international best geographical area. However, very dense forests (where practices to different local contexts. the tree canopy density is greater than 70%) cover a mere 2.5%. The growing stock of India’s forests is The key suggestions for forest lands include: 3 about 58.46 m /hectare, which is less than half the identification of sacrosanct forest areas; redefining the 3 global average of 131 m /hectare. Therefore, there is objective of forest management as optimizing a wide great potential to enhance the stocking and carbon range of ecosystem services and their sustainable use storage value of India’s forests making a significant to support local livelihoods; shifting the focus from contribution towards climate change mitigation. “quantity” (forest area) to “quality” (growing stock, species richness, etc.); development of innovative The key objectives of this strategy are to promote models, tools and techniques; conducting a proper integrated and sustainable management of forest economic valuation of resources; experimenting ecosystems, which, while enhancing their carbon value, with innovative approaches such as “payments for maintain or improve other locally or globally important ecosystem services” and forest certification; involving ecosystem services and, where appropriate, encourage local communities in forest management; conducting their sustainable use to support local livelihoods. The a comprehensive inventory of forest resources; and strategy rests on the following main pillars: putting in place a robust monitoring and evaluation system. For common lands, key suggestions include: • Adoption of a landscape approach for holistic resource mapping and preservation; moving from land use planning, while focusing on forest “open access” to “common property” regimes; ecosystem services, including their sustainable demand management; and partnering with panchayati use to support local livelihoods raj institutions (PRIs) as well as watershed programs. • Convergence with relevant ongoing initiatives For private lands, which are already meeting 89% of and utilization of existing policy and legal spaces the country’s wood demand, key suggestions are: to the extent possible documenting existing models and identifying potential • Development or adaptation of innovative forest species; incentivizing farm and agro-forestry research management models to promote context-specific and development; promoting cultivation of Non- sustainable forest ecosystem management Timber Forest Products (NTFPs); removing policy • Integration of gender and equity concerns bottlenecks related to tree growing, harvest and transport; establishing market linkages; and converging with flagship government programs. The strategy considers forest lands, common lands and private lands in a landscape to develop an integrated and holistic plan to ensure sustained or This paper provides a comprehensive strategy for enhanced supply of ecosystem services, including promoting sustainable forest ecosystem management livelihood benefits from sustainable use. The focus in India. Actions proposed under this strategy could on sustainable use to support local livelihoods is contribute towards meeting the national voluntary critical since well over half of India’s workforce is target of reducing the emission intensity of India’s still engaged in the agriculture sector and – despite Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 20-25% over 2005 rapid progress in recent years – poverty continues levels by 2020. 2 Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management: A Strategy for India TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 4 2 OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................................. 6 3 KEY ISSUES AND THREATS ..................................................................................................... 6 3.1 “Development” Imperative .................................................................................................................................... 9 3.2 Livelihood Dependence ......................................................................................................................................... 10 3.3 Forest Fires .............................................................................................................................................................. 11 3.4 Invasive Species ....................................................................................................................................................... 11 3.5 Climate Change ....................................................................................................................................................... 12 4 STRATEGY .................................................................................................................................... 12 4.1 Key Elements ........................................................................................................................................................ 12 4.1.1 Landscape Approach and Sustainable Use ........................................................................................ 13 4.1.2 Convergence and Links to Existing Policy Framework ................................................................. 13 4.1.3 Innovative Forest Management Models ............................................................................................ 14 4.1.4 Equity and Gender Issues ..................................................................................................................... 14 4.2 Strategy Points ...................................................................................................................................................... 15 4.2.1 Forest Lands .............................................................................................................................................. 15 4.2.2 Common Lands ......................................................................................................................................... 27 4.2.3 Private Lands ............................................................................................................................................. 30 5 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................. 33 6 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................... 35 LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES AND BOXES Table 1: Classification of recorded forest area in India ..................................................................................................... 15 Figure 1: Forest cover of India (FSI 2011) ............................................................................................................................. 7 Figure 2: Change in forest cover of India .............................................................................................................................. 8 Box 1: Categories of Ecosystem Services ............................................................................................................................. 4 Box 2: Malawi Principles of Ecosystem Approach ............................................................................................................... 6 Box 3: Targets for the Twelfth Five Year Plan ..................................................................................................................... 26 Sustainable Forest Ecosystem