Revised Green India Mission Plan

Syllabus: GS3/Environment 

Context

• Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav released the revised Green India Mission (GIM) document for 2021-2030 period.

The National Mission for a Green India

• The National Mission for a Green India (GIM) was launched in 2014 as one of the eight core missions under India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
  • The mission aims to protect, restore, and enhance forest and tree cover in India while addressing the challenges of climate change through both adaptation and mitigation strategies.
  • The Green India Mission is being implemented over a 10-year period from 2021 to 2030.
  • A portion of the plantation activities has already been completed.
  • If the current trend of over 2 million hectares of annual tree plantation continues, it could cover another 12 million hectares between 2025 and 2030.
• Key Objectives and Targets: One of the primary objectives of the mission is to increase forest and tree cover on five million hectares of forest and non-forest land.
  • Additionally, the mission seeks to improve the quality of forest cover on another five million hectares.
  • The mission also contributes to India’s climate commitments by aiming to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, as part of its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

Revised Projections and Area Requirements: 

• According to the Forest Survey of India (FSI), if all planned restoration activities are implemented, India could potentially achieve a carbon sink of 3.39 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.
• To meet this goal, the mission would need to increase forest and tree cover over an estimated 24.7 million hectares of land.
• Micro-Ecosystem Approach in Vulnerable Landscapes: The mission proposes a ‘micro-ecosystem’ approach to address ecological restoration in vulnerable landscapes.
  • These landscapes include the Aravallis, Western Ghats, arid regions of Northwest India, mangroves, and the Indian Himalayan Region.
  • The approach involves region-specific restoration practices that are tailored to the ecological needs of each area.
• Key Strategies for Implementation: Restoration will be carried out through the recovery of open forests, agroforestry, and plantation on degraded lands.
  • Tree plantations will also be undertaken on wastelands, along railway lines, and national highways to increase green cover.
  • The FSI has identified that the greatest potential for creating additional carbon sinks lies in restoring forests that have been degraded in the last 15 to 20 years.

Mission Governance Structure

• The National Governing Council of the Mission will be chaired by the Union Environment Minister.
• The National Executive Council will be headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Environment.
• The Directorate will be supported by a team of experts and secretarial staff.

Progress Made So Far

• Field-level interventions under the mission began in the year 2015–16.
• By 2020–21, a total of 11.22 million hectares of land had been brought under various plantation and restoration activities.

Source: IE