5/13/24, 1:02 AM Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

India highlights Forest Conservation and Sustainable Forest

Management initiatives at the 19th Session of the United Nations
Forum on Forests
Posted On: 12 MAY 2024 11:18AM by PIB Delhi

India participated in the 19th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), held at the UN Headquarters in New
York from May 6th to 10th May 2024. 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 fifteen years.
Globally, India ranks third in the net gain, in average annual forest area, between 2010 and 2020.

India shared the high priority the Country provides towards biodiversity and wildlife conservation, having expanded the network
of protected areas to over a thousand wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, tiger reserves, biosphere reserves, and other wildlife
habitats. The recent celebrations marking 50 years of Project Tiger and 30 years of Project Elephant underscore India’s
commitment to species conservation and habitat protection. India also highlighted the creation of the International Big Cat
Alliance, another important step aimed to protect and conserve the seven big cat species around the world through
collaborative international efforts.

India also shared the introduction of the ‘Green Credit Program’, designed to incentivize entities to take up tree plantation and
restoration of degraded forest lands, which aims to further strengthen climate action initiatives.
Previously, in October 2023, India hosted the Country Led Initiative under UNFF at Dehradun, attended by representatives from
40 countries and 20 international organizations and held discussions on forest fire management and forest certification. The
recommendations from this initiative were presented by India during UNFF 19.

The Ministry also hosted a side event on ‘Principles and Strategies for Landscape Integrated Fire Management through
Collaborative Governance’ in partnership with the Agency for Integrated Rural Fire Management, Portugal, the Korea Forest
Service, and the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) at the UNFF 19 at New York.

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5/13/24, 1:02 AM Press Information Bureau

The UNFF 19 culminated in a declaration to take urgent and accelerated actions to halt deforestation and forest degradation
and to prevent land degradation, including the implementation of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests and the
achievement of the Global Forest Goals.

The Indian delegation was led by Shri Jitendra Kumar, Director General of Forests and Special Secretary, Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.

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MJPS

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