INDIA STATE OF FOREST REPORT (ISFR), 2017


  ISFR, 2017:  KEY FINDINGS

  • Forest and Tree Cover of the country has increased by 8,021 sq km (1 %) as compared to assessment of 2015. The very dense forest has increased by 1.36 % as compared to last assessment. This is very heartening as VDF absorbs maximum carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
  • The increasing trend of forest and tree cover is largely due to the various national policies aimed at conservation and sustainable management of our forests like Green India Mission, National Agro-Forestry policy (NAP), REDD plus policy, Joint Forest Management (JFM), National Afforestation Programme and funds under Compensatory Afforestation to States.
  • Successful agro-forestry practices, better conservation of forests, improvement of scrub areas to forest areas, increase in mangrove cover, conservation and protection activities have also led to increase in the forest and tree cover.
  • Green Highways (Plantations & Maintenance) Policy to develop 1,40,000 km long tree line with plantation along with both sides of national highways will go a long way in enhancing the forest & tree cover.
  • Top 5 states where maximum forest cover has increased are Andhra Pradesh (2,141 sq kms), Karnataka (1,101 sq kms), Kerala (1,043 sq kms), Odisha (885 sq kms) and Telangana (565 sq kms). 
  • Top 5 states where forest cover has decreased are Mizoram (531 sq km), Nagaland (450 sq km), Arunachal Pradesh (190 sq km), Tripura (164 sq km) and Meghalaya (116 sq km). It is important to mention here that these states are in the North Eastern region of the country where the total forest cover is very high i.e. more than 70% in each state 
  • The main reasons for the decrease are - shifting cultivation, other biotic pressures, rotational felling, diversion of forest lands for developmental activities, submergence of forest cover, agriculture expansion and natural disasters.

Water Bodies Inside Forests have Increased Over a Decade

  •  Forests play a vital role in water conservation and improve the water regime in the area.
  •  State Forest Departments besides plantation and protection also undertake steps to improve water conservation through different interventions such as building Check dams, vegetation barriers, percolation ponds, contour trenches etc. under various Central & State Government schemes.
  •  As per the latest assessment, water bodies inside forest cover have increased by 2,647 sq kms during the last decade.
  •  Maharashtra (432 sq kms), Gujarat (428 sq kms), Madhya Pradesh (389 sq kms) are top three states showing increase in water bodies within forest areas. Overall, almost all the states have shown a positive change in water bodies.
  • As per ISFR 2017, mangrove forests have increased by 181 sq kms. Maharashtra (82 sq kms), Andhra Pradesh (37 sq kms) and Gujarat (33 sq kms) are the top three gainers in terms of mangrove cover. 7 out of the 12 mangrove states have shown an increase in mangrove cover and none of them show any negative change.
  • Mangrove eco-systems are rich in biodiversity and provide a number of ecological services. They also play a major role in protecting coastal areas from erosion, tidal storms and tsunamis.

 Striving Towards Achieving NDC Goal

  •  India is striving towards achieving its NDC goal of creating additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
  •  As per present assessment total carbon stock in forest is estimated to be 7,082 million tonnes. There is an increase of 38 million tonnes in the carbon stock of country as compared to the last assessment.


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DOWNLOAD UPSC CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATION PAPERS FOR THE YEAR 2017

UN World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP)


What is UN-WWAP?


  • The United Nations World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) is a flagship programme of UN-WATER and was founded in 2000. Its genesis can be traced in the Sixth Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development in 1998. 
  • WWAP is hosted and led by UNESCO.
  • The WWAP coordinates the work of 31 UN-Water members and partners in production of the UN World Water Development Report (UN-WWDR).
  • The World Water Development Report (WWDR) is an annual review providing an authoritative picture of the state, use and management of the world’s freshwater resources and report the progress achieved in reaching the Millennium Development Goals related to water.
  • In addition to coordinating this significant UN report, WWAP monitors freshwater issues in order to provide recommendations, develop case studies, enhance assessment capacity at a national level and inform the decision-making process.

Mission statement of UN-WWAP


  • This UN-WWAP wants to influence leaders in government, civil society and private sector, so that their policies and decision-making that affect water promote sustainable social and economic development at local, national, regional and global scales.
  • WWAP also seeks to equip water managers with knowledge, tools and skills so they may effectively inform and participate in the development of policies and in decision making and plan for, develop and manage water resources to meet the above objectives.

Objectives of the UN-WWAP


  • Monitor, assess and report on the world's freshwater resources and ecosystems, water use and management, and identify critical issues and problems;
  • Help countries develop their own assessment capacity;
  • Raise awareness on current and imminent/future water related challenges to influence the global water agenda;
  • Learn and respond to the needs of decision-makers and water resource managers;
  • Promote gender equality;
  • Measure progress towards achieving sustainable use of water resources through robust indicators; and
  • Support anticipatory decision-making on the global water system including the identification of alternative futures.



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1 Gigaton Coalition


What is 1 Gigaton Coalition?



  •  1 Gigaton Coalition is an initiative launched by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), with support from the Government of Norway.
  •  It was launched on 10 December 2014 to promote the expansion of renewable energy and energy efficiency in climate change mitigation efforts.
  • The 1 Gigaton Coalition aims to measure and report reductions of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives and programmes that are not accounted for in the Emissions Gap Report.
  • These emissions are estimated to be 1 gigaton of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) by 2020.
  • 1 Gigaton Coalition to do so by creating a methodology in their annual 1 Gigaton Coalition reports, which will highlight specific countries and programmes by applying this methodology.
  • These emission reductions, however, are currently underreported in most countries. In order to achieve target reductions, the coalition identifies success stories and highlight their achievements in order to encourage broader uptake of such approaches.
  • Success stories are seen as a way to bolster the case for ambitious initiatives, such as a global switch to energy efficient appliances that could reduce electricity consumption by 10% and avoid 1.25 billion tonnes of CO2e per year.
  • Participation in the coalition is open to government agencies and intergovernmental organizations as well as the private sector and civil society.
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