Call them Oxygen producers, Carbons sinkers, and home to wildlife – forests are an essential part of Earth. Life can’t be imagined without these lungs. Thats why, India is on a mission to increase its forest cover. Since the early 1980s, India’s forest cover has increased from 19.53% to 21.71% in 2021. According to the data made available by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) current forest cover in India, stands at 24.62%.
The Prime Minister’s vision to devise a unique biodiversity conservation model has been put through under the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Income (MISHTI) scheme announced in the Union Budget for 2023-24. The scheme envisages mangrove plantations along the coastline and on salt pans to be taken up with help of forest officers working across the country.
Mangroves are critical not only to preserve marine flora and fauna but also to protect human habitation on sea coasts as mangroves act as a barrier against possible destruction brought about by unavoidable natural calamities like Tsunami. Thats why MISHTI scheme is very important for the country.
United Nations has declared March 21 as International Forest Day. The Forestry Division of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) tweeted to acknowledge forests’ contribution to human life.
Similarly, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) listed six interesting reasons why we should treasure our forests.
- Forest covers 31% of the Earth’s land surface
- Nearly 1/3 global population depends of forest goods and services for livelihood, food security and nutrition
- Forest provide almost 75% of world’s accessible freshwater
- Around 33 million jobs are generated through forest sector work
- Forests are vast carbon sinks and sources of sustainable wood, making them key to mitigating climate change
- Forests are essential for conserving biodiversity and is a home to 80% amphibian species, 75% bird species, 68% mammal species.
On the occasion of International Forest Day or World Forestry Day, the forest officers fraternity shares their message on social media.
IFS officer Dr Abdul Qayum while observing the day, writes that how this year’s Forest Day theme ‘Forest and health’ is interlinked. He says, “It not only offers innumerable medicinal plants, herbs etc but it’s also a perennial source of clean drinking water.”
Mr. Ramesh Pandey, IFS shares how two billion people directly depend on it for food, fuel, fibre, medicine and livelihood. He further writes that the day is also to remember our green guards and their unmatched contributions in saving them.
Apart from forest officer who work tirelessly in the protection of forest and wildlife, civil servants from other services also contribute their bit for the cause. IRTS officer Sanjay Kumar is a live example of it. He along with whole Railway Department of Tundla conducted a huge afforestation drive of more than 10,000 trees and created Urban fruit forest and mini forests.
