Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) is an emerging and efficient financial mechanism under the umbrella of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to recognise the efforts of the forest dependent communities in the conservation and sustainable management of forest resources and enhancing the carbon stocks by providing them some financial incentives. India has greater potential for REDD+ activities and seems to gain immensely from this international initiative. Though India has abundant forest resources, high rate of deforestation and forest degradation due to burgeoning population growth are the major issues which India face today. In recent past India has sent a positive message to international communities by initiating some remarkable initiatives around forest conservation and sustainable management. REDD+ has also the potential to address food and nutritional security of forest dependent communities, of about 300 millions which are spread in different parts of the country, by providing them good amount of financial incentives for their conservational efforts. Time now demands a clear process, methodology and institutional mechanism for effective implementation of REDD+ in India. In all cases it needs to be self-enabling and uniform across communities.