Standing Crop:
• Refers to the biomass of living organisms (such as plants or animals) present in a
specific area at a given time.
• Measured in terms of mass (e.g., grams per square meter) or energy content (e.g.,
calories per square meter)
Standing State:
• Refers to the quantity of materials or nutrients present in a specific compartment
of an ecosystem (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, or phosphorus in soil, water, or biomass) at a
given time.
• Includes both living and non-living components (e.g., nutrients in dead organic
matter or in the soil)
India State of Forest Report 2021,
• Odisha reported highest forest fires between November 2020 and June 2021,
followed by Madhya Pradesh.
• More than 36% of country's forest cover has been estimated to be prone to
frequent forest fires.
● Annual Burn Area: Around 340 to 370 million hectares of Earth's surface are
affected annually. ● Projected Frequency: Extreme wildfires are expected to
increase by approximately 50% by the end of the century.
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● Impact of Climate: Wildfires contribute to hotter, drier, and longer fire seasons
globally.
Forest Fire Alert System
● Joint initiative of NASA, ISRO, and FSI
● Utilizes NASA's SNPP VIIRS satellite for data
● National Remote Sensing Centre, Ahmedabad, provides information
● Data is sent to FSI for early warnings
● Currently, FFAS 3.0 is active in India, providing faster alerts
NASA's Aqua and Suomi-NPP satellites are used to monitor farm fires. They collect
data using MODIS and VIIRS instruments,
Controversy Over Fire Detection: Allegations suggest farmers deliberately burn
stubble after satellite overpass times (1:30 PM local), evading detection.
Geostationary satellites
Meteosat-9 (Europe)
HIMAWARI-8 (Japan)
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GEO-KOMPSAT 2A (South Korea)
FWI: Fire Weather Index
● Developed by FSI as an early alert system based on weather data
● Predicts fire danger levels based on inputs like dryness and temperature
● Dry Deciduous Forests in Southern and Central India remain dry for 5-6 months
(June to November), making them prone to fires, particularly in March-April.
Note: 62% of Indian states are prone to high-density forest fires, with
• Extremely Prone: in Assam, Mizoram, and Tripura, and
• Very Highly Prone: in Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, and Meghalaya.
Forest Fire Prevention & Management Scheme by MoEF
● Capacity building of community members and local staff
● Development and training of forestry infrastructure
● Implementation of modern prevention methods
● Support to state governments
Van Agni Geo Portal (2019): Provides a single point source of information from
FSI
Global Forest Watch
● Developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI)
● Provides real-time data on forest fires across the world
● Real-Time Forest Monitoring: Tracks changes in forest cover and alerts users to
deforestation and forest degradation.
● Forest Fire Alerts: Offers real-time data on forest fires worldwide using satellite
technology.
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Eliminating deforestation and forest degradation, and restoring 30% of degraded
forest area by 2030.
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Key Strategic Actions of IFM
● Integrated Fire Management: Conduct activities before, during, and after fires,
while avoiding the spread of invasive species through fire suppression practices.
● Planned Fire: Permit controlled burning within set parameters in fire-dependent
ecosystems to aid prevention.
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● Fire Awareness Programs: Design culturally sensitive programs that include
traditional and agricultural fire use
● Knowledge Transfer: Partner with scientists, Indigenous Peoples, and local
experts to improve policies, regulations, and practices.
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● Reserved Forests: All human activities are banned unless specifically allowed by a
forest officer.
● Protected Forests: Most activities are permitted unless specifically restricted by a
forest officer.
● Village Forests: The state government assigns patches of land to a village
community, granting them forest rights for conservation, preservation, or other
activities under the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
Indian Forest Act, 1927:
● Defines forests and their types.
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●Is a management-oriented law focusing on the classification, regulation, and
revenue from forests and their produce.
● Establishes control over forest produce and creates a framework for its
regulation. Ensures government control over forest produce.
Regulation and management of forest resources, forest produce, and prevention of
illegal activities.
● Sets penalties for violations of the Act, such as illegal felling of trees, hunting, etc.
State Governments and Forest Departments.
Forest Conservation Act, 1980:
● Addresses and controls deforestation.
● Protects flora, fauna, and biodiversity, promoting conservation and sustainable
growth.
● Ensures the reservation of forest integrity and territory.
● To protect and conserve forests by restricting deforestation and ensuring
sustainable use.
● Regulates the conversion of forest land to non-forest use.
● Defines roles of central and state governments concerning forest conservation.
● Regulates forest land use and imposes penalties for violations.
Forest Conservation Rules under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980:
● New rules were introduced in 2022.
Earlier procedure for diversion of forest land:
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● Required central government approval for diverting forest land exceeding 5
hectares.
● Central government established the Forest Advisory Committee (a statutory body
under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980) to oversee land diversion matters.
● Forest Advisory Committee mandates that applicants seek permission from the
Gram Sabha under the Forest Rights Act, 2006; if approved, the Forest Advisory
Committee would review the application.
● On receiving NOC from Forest Advisory Committee, the application is forwarded
to the state government.
● The state government provides final permission, and applicants make deposits
under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority
(CAMPA).
Forest Conservation Rules (FCR), 2022:
● The requirement for Gram Sabha consent is omitted; this consent is now managed
by the State Government.
● This change has been opposed by local communities, as they fear potential
manipulation by the state government.
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority
(CAMPA):
● Allows compensatory afforestation, which can be conducted in a different state
from where deforestation occurred.
● Private owners can create forests on any land and sell it as compensatory
afforestation.
Forest Advisory Committee:
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● Highest decision making authority related land-use changes Statutory body
constituted under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, tasked with advising the
central government on issues related to forest conservation and diversion of forest
land for non-forest purposes.
Chairperson: Usually a senior government official from the Ministry of
Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
Members: Experts in forestry and environmental conservation. Representatives
from government departments concerned with forest management and land use.
Afforestation Initiatives:
Green India Mission:
● Part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change.
● Aims to restore 10 million hectares of land, including 5 million hectares of new
and 5 million hectares of degraded forests.
● Implemented by the National Forest Eco-Development Board
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National Afforestation Program:
● Implemented by the National Forest Eco-Development Board.
● Focuses on restoring, conserving, and developing forests through community-
forest management.
● Jointly managed by locals and forest officials under the Forest Management
Committees.
National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board (NAEB)
Established in 1992 under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change
(MoEFCC).
Focus: Promote afforestation, ecological restoration, and sustainable forest
management.
Restore degraded forest areas and adjoining lands.
Enhance forest cover for ecological and livelihood benefits.
Sponsor research for effective forest regeneration.
public awareness and participatory eco-development.
Coordinate and monitor afforestation programs nationwide.
Eco-Development Forces (EDF) Scheme: Implemented in collaboration with the
Ministry of Defence, this scheme focuses on the ecological restoration of terrains
that are severely degraded, located in remote areas, or have challenging law and
order situations
National Green Highway:
● An initiative by the Ministry of Road and Transport.
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● Targets 2% of the entire road network for afforestation along highways to reduce
sound pollution.
● Aims to contribute to landscaping and mitigate climate change.
Green Credit Scheme:
● Allows private players to raise forests for three years, after which the land is
designated as a forest.
● Enables trading of such forests under CAMPA as compensatory afforestation.
● Allows forest land use for mining with permission granted by the Forest Advisory
Committee
Green Credit Program:
● Market-based mechanism to incentivize green activities among volunteers,
farmers, communities, private players, and companies.
● Encourages initiatives like waste management, eco-mark certifications, air
pollution control, mangrove restoration, tree plantation, water management,
sustainable building, and sustainable agriculture.
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Social Forestry (Benefits Local Communities):
● Rural Forestry: Includes community forestry (for common areas) and
agroforestry (combining agricultural plants with other produce).
● Farm Forestry: Focuses on planting trees like palm and timber.
● Extension Forestry: Involves planting trees along canals, highways, and other
public areas.
Initiatives to promote Agroforestry:
1. National Mission on Sustained Agriculture:
• Part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change
• Includes the Sub-Mission on Agro-Forestry
2. National Bamboo Mission and
3. National Mission on Oilseeds & Oil Palm.
Great Green Wall of Aravalis:
● A planned ecological corridor stretching 1,600 km and 5 km wide, creating a
green forest patch from Delhi to Gujarat.
Part of the Union Environment Ministry's vision to establish green corridors for
combating land degradation and desertification.
Covers Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Delhi, spanning over 6 million hectares.
Key Activities:
Afforestation: Planting native tree and shrub species on degraded forest land,
wasteland, and scrubland.
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Water Body Restoration: Rejuvenating ponds, lakes, and streams.
Agroforestry & Pasture Development: Promoting sustainable practices to enhance
livelihoods.
Great Green Wall Initiative (Africa):
● Aims to restore degraded land in the Sahel region, addressing issues of land
restoration, livelihood, and food security amid challenges like protests and
corruption.
Bonn Challenge:
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● Launched by IUCN and the Government of Germany, aiming to restore 150 million
hectares of land by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030.
1 Billion Tree Program:
● A UNEP campaign to plant 1 billion trees globally.
1 Trillion Tree Program:
● A campaign led by the World Economic Forum (WEF) with a goal to plant 1
trillion trees worldwide.
● Support UN DECADE on ecosystem restoration (2020-2030)
Sankalp Parva
● Launched by the Ministry of Culture for the period from June 28 to July 12,
encouraging government officers to plant trees in government offices.
● Focuses on planting five heritage herbal trees: Bargad (Banyan), Amla, Peepal,
Ashok, and Bel.
Nagar Van Yojana
● Promotes urban forestry with community participation.
● Aims to establish 400 Nagar Vans (urban forests) and 200 Nagar Vatika (smaller
urban gardens).
● Inspired by the Warje Urban Forest in Pune.
● Implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change
(MoEF), funded by CAMPA
CAMPA Act (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management & Planning
Authority)
● Establishes both National and State CAMPA Funds as a statutory mechanism.
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● Requires payment of the Net Present Value (NPV) of forest land or equivalent
afforestation cost when converting forest land to nonforest use.
● 90% of the CAMPA fund is allocated to states, while the remaining 10% goes to
the Central Government under the Public Account.
● The fund is directed towards activities such as afforestation, wildlife
conservation, and other forest management practices.
REDD & REDD+ Initiatives under UNFCCC
● Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing
Countries
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● REDD: Framework under which national governments plan and implement
strategies to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation
● REDD+: Reducing deforestion and forest degradation plus Afforestation
● UNFCCC evaluates and provides finances based on results.
UN REDD Program:
A collaboration between UNDP, UNEP, and FAO to support REDD+ activities through
capacity building, technical assistance, national strategy development, monitoring,
and reporting.
Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)
● Established by the World Bank to assist countries in REDD+ activities.
● Comprises two funds: the Readiness Fund and the Carbon Fund.
Forest Pathway Report
● by WWF and Forest Declaration Assessment
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● Highlights the rise in deforestation and the failure of global actions in mitigation
UN Forum on Forests
The United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) is a highlevel intergovernmental body
established in 2000
● Operates under ECOSOC and Headquartered: New York
● Focus on the management, conservation, and sustainable development of all
forest types.
● Aims to foster international cooperation and political commitment through the
UN Strategic Plan for Forests (2017-2030)
UN Strategic Plan for Forests (2017-2030)
• Includes 6 forest goals and 26 targets
• Aiming to increase global forest area by 3% (~120 million hectares) by 2030.
• Sets targets for the world for afforestation and reducing deforestation
• Sustainable management of all types of forests and halt deforestation and forest
degradation
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'Seoul' Declaration on Forests
● Adopted at the World Forestry Congress by FAO in South Korea, 2022, promoting
shared responsibility.
● World Forestry Congress is organized by FAO every 6 years.
● Focuses on biodiversity loss, desertification, and climate change, proposing
solutions through sustainable forest management.
● Shared Responsibility: The declaration emphasizes that the stewardship of
forests should be a collective effort, integrating responsibilities across various
institutions, sectors, and stakeholders.
● Investment in Restoration: To meet internationally agreed commitments and
targets on restoring degraded land, the declaration calls for tripling global
investments in forest and landscape restoration by 2030.
● Emphasizes the use of innovative technologies and convenes.
● Humans and Forests are closely linked- "We cannot have healthy environemnt
unless we have healthy forests."
● Circular and neutral economy (R-R-R)
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Forest Declaration Assessment
● An independent, civil society-led initiative that analyzes global targets set for
environmental sustainability.
● Focus: Tracks global goals to eliminate deforestation, forest degradation, and
restore 30% of degraded forest area by 2030, as per
• New York Declaration on Forests (2014),
• Glasgow Leaders' Declaration (2021), and
• Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022).
● Global Target: To restore 350 million hectares of degraded land and completely
halt land degradation by 2030
Bonn Challenge
• restore 350 million hectares
New York Declaration on Forests
• Half deforestation rate by 2020
• End deforestation by 2030 and
• Restore 100 million hectares of degraded land)
Glasgow Declaration on Forests and Land Use 2021
• Completely halt deforestation and forest degradation by 2030
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Environmental Education Awareness Training Program
● Flagship program of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
(MoEF).
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● Setting up the National Green Corps (school children leaders) to drive
environmental activities at the school level through 'eco-clubs'.
● Organizing National Environmental Awareness campaigns, seminars, workshops,
and nature camping programs.
mHariyali App
● By Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
● Encourages public participation in tree planting in urban areas, allowing users to
take selfies with planted trees and upload them to the app.
The United Kingdom (175) and Mexico (142)
— smaller countries than India — have the maximum Ramsar sites, whereas Bolivia
spans the largest area, with 148,000 sq. km. under the Convention's protection.
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Currently, Tamil Nadu has the maximum number of Ramsar Sites (18 sites) followed
by Uttar Pradesh (10 sites).
State-wise coverage:
• Gujarat has the most extensive wetland coverage, with 34,700 sq km, constituting
17.56% of its geographical area and 22.7% of India's total wetland area.
• Other states
◦ Andhra Pradesh: 14,500 sq km.
◦ Uttar Pradesh: 12,400 sq km.
◦ West Bengal: 11,100 sq km.
The National Wetland Inventory and Assessment compiled by the Indian Space
Research Organisation, estimates India's wetlands to span around 1,52,600 sq. km.,
which is 4.63% of the total geographical area of the country.
Wetland
The Ramsar Convention defines wetlands as: "
... areas of marsh, fen, peatland, or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or
temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish, or salt, including
areas of marine water where the depth at low tide does not exceed six meters."
● Wetlands are transitional aquatic ecosystems that serve as interfaces between
terrestrial and aquatic environments.
● Wetlands can have water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish, or salty.
● Includes marine waters where the depth at low tide does not exceed 6 meters.
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Wetlands
● Any area whose biogeochemical characteristics are defined by water is called a
wetland.
Significance of wetlands:
• Provides high biodiversity and acts as a transition zone, leading to an "edge effect"
that supports water birds
• biodiversity conservation
• water purification
• flood control
• tourism and livelihood opportunities
• climate change mitigation: Peatlands, known for carbon sequestration, as they
absorb large amounts of CO₂.
• Ecosystem Services of Wetlands
• Carbon Sink and Sequestration.
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Mineral Soil Wetlands
● Less than 20% organic matter): e.g., Sundarbans (swamps with deep water and
trees).
● Swamps and Marshes are mineral soil wetlands
• Swamps: Deep water with woody trees and poor drainage.
• Marshes: Shallow water with non-woody vegetation
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Organic Soil Wetlands
● More than 20% organic matter
● Bogs and Fens are organic soil wetlands
• Bogs: High organic matter, Sphagnum moss, acidic conditions, water from
rainwater accumulation.
• Fens: Over 20% organic matter, diverse vegetation, less acidic, fed by
groundwater, low-lying areas, rich in flora and fauna.
Peatlands
● Formed by the accumulation of partially decomposed organic matter (peat).
● Mainly found in bogs and fens as they have more organic matter. Swamps and
marshes may also have some peat.
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● Significance: Act as huge carbon sink, flood control, and providing safe drinking
water.
Initiatives for protection of Peatlands
Global Peatland Initiative by UNEP
● Adopted the "Brazzaville Declaration" for peatland conservation
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Global Peatland Assessment Report
● Released by UNEP at COP27
● Focus on biodiversity and carbon sequestration.
● Reports loss of 500,000 hectares of peatland annually worldwide
Ramsar Convention
● Established on February 2, 1971, as an inter-governmental treaty for wetland
protection.
● World Wetlands Day commemorates this on February 2.
● Aim:
1. Ensuring 'wise use' of wetlands
The Ramsar Convention defines the "wise use" of wetlands as
"the maintenance of their ecological character, achieved through the
implementation of ecosystem approaches, within the context of sustainable
development.
2. Designate significant wetland areas as "Ramsar Sites"
3. Promotes cooperation for trans-boundary wetland conservation.
India has 85 Ramsar Sites
National Wetland Decadal Change Atlas:
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● Created by Space Application Centre, ISRO to map decadal changes in wetlands.
Desertification & Land Degradation Atlas:
● Developed by ISRO to monitor desertification and land degradation in India.
Geospatial Energy Map of India:
● Launched by NITI Aayog in collaboration with ISRO to map energy resources
across India.
Wasteland Atlas:
● Published by the Ministry of Rural Development to track wasteland resources.
National Aquatic Ecosystem Conservation Program:
● A program by MoEF focusing on the conservation of lakes and wetlands.
Conference of Parties under Ramsar:
● COP 14 (2022) held in Wuhan, China, and Switzerland.
● Outcome: Wuhan Declaration, emphasizing practical steps and political
commitment for the conservation, restoration, management, and sustainable use of
wetlands.
Ramsar's COP 15 is scheduled to be held in Zimbabwe.
Global Wetland Outlook Reports:
● Reports published first in 2018 and second in 2021
● Analyze and assess global threats and challenges to wetlands.
Montreux Record:
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● A list under Ramsar Convention that identifies wetlands at risk due to technical
developments or human interventions.
● India has two sites under Montreux Record:
• Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan)
• Loktak Lake (Manipur) - Keibul Lamjao National Park within Loktak Lake is home
to the endangered Sangai, also known as the dancing deer (critically endangered).
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