Sustainable forest management attains greater significance

At a time when the Indian economy is expanding at a very fast pace, importance of sustainable forest management attains greater significance, Director General of Forests and special secretary to Government of India PJ Dilip Kumar said, while speaking at the Indian Forest Congress organised in New Delhi by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education.

Kumar cautioned that unless the villages on fringes of forests are developed, the economic gains cannot be facilitated for the intended beneficiaries.

About 200 Joint Forest Management committee members from 19 States attended the first forest congress, a large number of them are women and these villagers are interacting with international scientists and experts in forestry.

Experts debated on 14 sub-themes covering all the five themes of the congress wherein 151 oral presentations and 53 poster presentations were made. Various eminent scientists, foresters and experts addressed the participants.

The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) director general Coosje Hoogendoorn emphasised on the contribution of bamboo towards pro-poor, green economy and recommended use of bamboo as a replacement for wood and community-based industrialisation involving bamboo and rattans. The technologies developed by ICFRE can help the farmers towards sustainable use of bamboo forests covering at least nine million hectare throughout the country.

Speaking on the occasion, former member of the Planning Commission, DN Tiwari opined that the technologies developed by researchers of ICFRE can go a long way in addressing problems of forest areas under JFM. He appreciated the fact that a considerable number of people from rural areas were attending the forest congress.

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) expert Dr CTS Nair, stressed on the need for more thrust on addressing the barriers in the application of innovations. The additional director, Forests, AK Bansal said that the Ministry of Environment and Forests will look forward to specific outcomes of this congress that would guide the future policy initiatives.