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Authors
Affiliations
1 Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, IN
2 Iora Ecological Solutions Pvt Ltd, New Delhi 110 030, IN
3 Institute for Global Environment Strategies, 2108-11, Kamiyamaguchi, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0115, JP
Source
Current Science, Vol 106, No 9 (2014), Pagination: 1201-1206
Abstract
Periodic estimation, monitoring and reporting on area under forest and plantation types and afforestation rates are critical to forest and biodiversity conservation, sustainable forest management and for meeting international commitments. This article is aimed at assessing the adequacy of the current monitoring and reporting approach adopted in India in the context of new challenges of conservation and reporting to international conventions and agencies. The analysis shows that the current mode of monitoring and reporting of forest area is inadequate to meet the national and international requirements. India could be potentially over-reporting the area under forests by including many non-forest tree categories such as commercial plantations of coconut, cashew, coffee and rubber, and fruit orchards. India may also be under-reporting deforestation by reporting only gross forest area at the state and national levels. There is a need for monitoring and reporting of forest cover, deforestation and afforestation rates according to categories such as (i) natural/primary forest, (ii) secondary/degraded forests, (iii) forest plantations, (iv) commercial plantations, (v) fruit orchards and (vi) scattered trees.
Keywords
Afforestation, Deforestation, Forest Cover, Monitoring and Reporting, REDD+.
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