What are forest?

The policy defines forests as dynamic ecosystem consisting of plants, animals & microorganisms safeguarding the ecological security of the nation. Forests provide the carbon neutral timber, non timber products like medicines, grasses, & other ecosystem services essential for the very survival of the human beings.

National Forest policy 1988

Aim:
The principal aim of National Forest Policy, 1988 was to ensure environmental stability and maintenance of ecological balance including atmospheric equilibrium which are vital for sustenance of all life forms, human, animals and plants. The 1988 Policy recognized that derivation of direct economic benefits must be subordinated to this principal aim. This policy has been instrumental in strengthening ecological security, sustainable forest management, and participatory forest management. The primary target of the policy was to achieve one third forest and tree cover of total area in country.

Evaluation of National Forest policy 1988

There has been an increase in forest and tree cover and reduction in the diversion of forest land for other land uses despite compelling demands from the increasing population, industrialization and rapid economic growth. However the , low quality and low productivity of our natural forests, impacts of climate change, human-wildlife conflict, intensifying water crisis, increasing air and water pollution and deteriorating environment have been the issues of serious concern.. The increased concerns for biodiversity conservation and the need to enhance forest ecosystem services, through new technological advancements and the continuously declining investments in the sector present new challenges for forest management in the country.

Need for new policy

Need to revise the National Forest Policy, 1988 arise in order to integrate the vision of sustainable forest management by incorporating elements of ecosystem security , climate change mitigation and adaptation, forest hydrology, participatory forest management, urban forestry, robust monitoring and evaluation framework and establishment of mechanisms to oversee multi-stakeholder convergence in forest management, while building on our rich cultural heritage of co-existence and relying on our rich and diverse forest resources.

Goal of the new policy

• To safeguard the ecological and livelihood security of people, of the present and future generations, based on sustainable management of the forests for the flow of ecosystem services.
• To achieve the national goal for eco-security, the country should have a minimum of one-third of the total land area under forest and tree cover.
• The hills and mountainous regions, the aim will be to maintain two-third of the area under forest & tree cover in order to prevent soil erosion and land degradation and also to ensure the stability of the fragile eco-systems

Objectives of draft new forest policy 2018

• To maintain environmental stability and conserve biodiversity along with reversing degradation of forest.
•  Improvement in livelihoods for people based on sustainable use of ecosystem services.
•  Incentivize agro forestry and farm forestry by launching National community forest management mission.
• Strengthen wildlife management by protecting wildlife habitats, maintaining wildlife corridor and incidents of man animal conflicts.
• Contribute towards achieving forestry related Nationally Determined Contribution Targets (NDC’s) of the country. Contribute towards achieving forestry related Nationally Determined Contribution Targets (NDC’s) of the country.
• Restraint the diversion of forest for non- forestry purpose.
• To supplement recharge of ground water aquifers and maintenance of other ecosystem services.
• Sustainable management of mountain forest system.
• Management of North Eastern Forests by maintaining them as a mosaic of community for forest management. As 85 to 90 percent of North Eastern forests are owned by community.
• Integrate climate change mitigation and adaptation measures in forest management through the mechanism of REDD+(Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation plus) so that the impacts of the climate change is minimized.
• Special focus on reducing forest fires by creating early warning system and developing map of vulnerable areas.

 Financial support mechanisms:

• Promotion of public Private partnership for restoring the degraded forest. - The budget of the forestry sector of the states will be enhanced proportionately to the allocation of central resources devolved, based on the finance commission weightage on forest resources of the States.
• Compensatory Afforestation fund will be transferred to the states along with the budgetary support and funds from related ministries like Rural development, Tribal affairs, National Highways, Railways, Coal, Mines etc.
• Promotion of public Private partnership for restoring the degraded forest. - The budget of the forestry sector of the states will be enhanced proportionately to the allocation of central resources devolved, based on the finance commission weightage on forest resources of the States.
• Compensatory Afforestation fund will be transferred to the states along with the budgetary support and funds from related ministries like Rural development, Tribal affairs, National Highways, Railways, Coal, Mines etc.
• Legal and institutional frameworks
• A National Board of Forestry headed by the central minister in-charge of forests and State Boards of Forestry headed by state minister in-charge of forests will be established.
• Training and Skill development
• Forest Skill Development Centers for skilling forest dependent population in forestry sector jobs will be instituted with the help of National Skill Development Corporation & State Skill Development Agencies.
• The budget of the forestry sector of the states will be enhanced proportionately to the allocation of central resources devolved, based on the finance commission weightage on forest resources of the States.
• Compensatory Afforestation fund will be transferred to the states along with the budgetary support and funds from related ministries like Rural development, Tribal affairs, National Highways, Railways, Coal, Mines etc.

Criticism of the Draft Forest Policy 2018

• While there is merit in new concepts being introduced – economic valuation of ecosystem services, forest certification, national forest ecosystem management information system, etc. However, the draft policy still face criticism on following accounts:
• The draft policy mentions that , business plans based on “climate smart value chain” will be developed for non timber forest produce,but draft policy does not specify how any such initiative will be owned and between whom the benefits will be shared.
• Moreover, Forest policy 1988 aimed to use degraded land for massive afforestation. But the new draft policy intends to use these lands for quality timber for commercial use.
• The new document also mentions the commercially important species like Eucalyptus and Poplar for afforestation. Even though both these species are water demanding with deep root system which can deplete groundwater.
• Pushing non-indigenous plantation species to meet afforestation targets and timber requirements will damage groundwater recharge and be counterproductive to public investments in such initiatives.Thus these concerns need to be addressed in the final policy.