Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBCS)

Devising Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Forests and Biodiversity of Assam

Project Description

Assam, located in the northeastern region of India and part of a Global Biodiversity Hotspot, is home to rich biodiversity and vast forested landscapes. These forests are vital ecosystems that cover a significant portion of the state’s area, providing numerous ecological, economic and social benefits. Subsequently, forests are essential to the livelihood of local communities, they serve as a wellspring of resources that contribute to their sustenance and economic well-being.

Rising population drives the urbanization, expansion of agricultural activities, and increased dependence on forest resources, exacerbating the strain on these ecosystems, leading to deforestation and forest degradation which has become an area of critical concern. With an aim to reduce deforestation and forest degradation, and combat climate change the French development agency – Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) is supporting Forest Department and State Government of Assam by co-funding “Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation Phase II (APFBC Phase II)’. The aim of the project is to strengthen forest conservation, enhance biodiversity protection, and improve the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities.

In this context, the project entrusted to TERI aims to assesses the vulnerability of Assam’s forests and biodiversity, identifies key drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, proposes climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, develops a Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system, and prepares a Forest Reference Emission Level (FREL)/ Forest Reference Level (FRL) for Assam.