Forests

Forests are a key element of our terrestrial ecological systems. They comprise tree-dominated vegetative associations with an innate complexity, inherent diversity, and serve as a renewable resource base as well as a habitat for a myriad of life forms. Forests render numerous goods and services, and maintain life-support systems so essential for life on earth. Some of these life support systems of major economic and environmental importance are: i) supply of timber, fuelwood, fodder, and a wide range of non-wood forest products, ii) natural habitat for biodiversity and repository of genetic wealth, iii) provision of recreation and opportunity for ecotourism, iv) playing an integral part of the watershed to regulate the water regime, conserve soil, and control floods, and v) carbon sequestration and functions as a carbon sink.

The increase in human and livestock population in recent times and rural poverty have both exerted tremendous pressure on the forest resources of the country, leading to a deterioration in their quality, stocks and productivity.

This chapter deals with Agenda 21, as it addresses issues related to the forestry sector in India. The chapter is divided into sections providing an overview of the sector; a discussion of relevant Agenda 21 concerns; highlights of important policies, acts, programmes and other initiatives; analysis highlighting achievements and concerns under Agenda 21 objectives; and finally strategies for sustainable development in the forestry sector.

Overview of the sector

India supports approximately 16% of the world’s human and 18% of the livestock population on 2.5% of its geographical area, which also includes 1.8% of forest area according to the Forest Survey of India (2000). The recorded forest area is 76.52 million ha or 23.28% of the country’s total geographical area of 328.73 million ha, most of which (over 90 %) is under public/government ownership and managed by the state forest departments.

The growing stock of the country (including natural forest, forest plantations, and areas other than natural forests) is 4740.8 million cubic metres with an annual increment of 87.62 million cubic metres. Of this, about 60% (52.62 million cubic metres) is estimated to be timber and 40% (35 million cubic metres) fuelwood. This represents an average volume of 74.42 m3/ha with an incremental annual growth of 1.36 m3/ha/year.

The main pressures on forests in India are on account of factors such as deforestation, over-cutting beyond silviculturally permissible limits, unsustainable fuel and fodder extraction, practice of shifting cultivation, forest fires, over-grazing and diversion of forest land for non-forestry uses .The total forest area diverted to non-forestry purposes between 1950 and 1980 was 4.5 million ha at an average annual rate of about 0.15 million ha. However, after the promulgation of the Forest (Conservation) Act in 1980, the rate of diversion has come down to about 0.02 million ha annually.

Forests contribute 1.7% (MoEF, 1999) to the gross domestic product of the country. However, this figure does not take into account its numerous non-market and external benefits. Collection of non-wood forest products by villagers is also not recorded fully. Studies are underway to provide more accurate estimates of the contribution of forests to the GDP.