Suresh Gairola, Director General of ICFRE, addresses the gathering at the consultation workshop in Dehradhun, Uttrakhand, India Photos: ICFRE

Countries seeking funds from the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) programme need to develop a National REDD+ Strategy or Action Plan. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), through its regional REDD+ Initiative, helped the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) prepare a National REDD+ Strategy for India, which requires that states also prepare a State REDD+ Action Plan (SRAP). ICFRE, in collaboration with ICIMOD, recently organized a two day stakeholders consultation workshop to prepare a SRAP for Uttarakhand. About 40 participants from the Forest Department, line departments, universities, civil society, and community members attended the workshop.

Large scale deforestation has become a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. REDD+ gives financial incentives to developing countries to reduce deforestation and forest degradation and promote forest conservation and sustainable management. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change has reiterated its support to promote REDD+ in developing countries for climate change mitigation. Speaking at the inaugural session of the Workshop, Parag Dhakate, Conservator of Forest and Coordinator of State Climate Change Cell Uttarakhand, said that local communities and panchayats traditionally conserved forests and can benefit financially from REDD+ programmes. Suresh Gairola, Director General of ICFRE, said that REDD+ programmes have the potential to improve the livelihoods of such forest dwelling communities.

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