India needs innovations in climate change mitigation and adaptation. There is also need for broader and inclusive consensus on policy issues promoting carbon forestry and carbon markets. These views emerged at a workshop organised jointly by Forest Research Institute and Welspun Energy ltd for promoting industry driven plantation in PPP mode to help in climate change mitigation and generate carbon credits.
Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education director general VK Bahuguna said that in India about two lakh villages are situated around fringe forests and forests help in mitigation and adapting to climate change. Innovations are needed to involve communities and there is need to inform people at grass root level about mitigation and adapataion of climate change.
FRI director PP Bhojvaid said forest carbon has found more fertile ground in the voluntary carbon market and today accounts for more than 20 per cent of global voluntary market. Predictable and reliable Govt actions are needed and the Governments and businesses should interact on the issue of voluntary action around climate change mitigation, he said. Raghunath Mahapatra of Welspun Energy said that in order to explore a possible solution in this direction by developing degraded forest lands for environmental sustainability and sustainable infrastructural growth of the country, a non-commercial initiative with involvement of private sector organisations to reforest and maintain degraded forest lands as part of Corporate Social Responsibility has been initiated.
Tree line shifting higher due to climatic conditions
Dehradun: The tree line in Uttarakhand is shifting higher by about 300 metres due to climatic conditions.
The ICFRE director general, VK Bahuguna told this to the Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna while handing over the book Forest Types of India: Revisited along with a note on the changes observed in Uttarakhand.
The DG informed that many forests are moving towards dry conditions in the State. Climatic changes, forest fires and biotic pressure are causing changes in the forests in Uttarakhand and beyond. Urgent steps are required for evolving a strategy for adaptation and managing these changes so that sub-surface water for drinking and soil moisture is maintained in the sites for better productivity and livelihood of the people.
The ICFRE DG has proposed that a strategy should be evolved immediately for combating climate changes through policy and management interventions for which the council can make a presentation before the State Government.
PNS