Page 337 - Low Carbon Development in China and India
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(a) Moderately dense forest cover, 1.5 m
but showing degradation 3m
2 Ecosystem restoration and
increase in forest cover (b) E co-restoration of degraded open 0.4 m
forests 1.8 m
Enhancing tree cover 0.6 m
(c) Restoration of grasslands 0.8 m
3 in Urban and Peri- 0.1 m
Urban areas (including (a) Rehabilitation of Shifting 0.1 m
0.1 m
institutional lands) Cultivation areas 0.1 m
(b) Restoring scrublands
Agro-forestry and social (c) Restoring/planting seabuckthorn 0.2 m
(d) Restoration of mangroves
4 forestry (increasing (e) Ravine reclamation 3m
biomass and creating (f) Restoration of abandoned mining
0.1 m
carbon sink) areas
5 Restoration of wetlands
Source: MOEFCC (2013)
Forests provide us with a range of ecosystem goods and services such as
carbon sequestration and storage, climate regulation, food production,
and sociocultural services. Forests also play a fundamental role in the
preservation of global ecological systems. However, with the recent
phase of forest degradation and deforestation, the critical functions
provided by the forest ecosystems are being increasingly threatened
(FAO 1997). To address these issues and in order to safeguard forest
ecosystems, it is important that forestry resources and services are
valued appropriately. Viable financial mechanisms need to be used
to promote sustainability across forest ecosystems. The Fourteenth
Finance Commission rightly identified the need to ‘balance management
of ecology, environment and climate change consistent with sustainable
economic development’ and added the new criterion of forest cover for
devolution of central taxes to the states. This would encourage states
to take up afforestation and reforestation activities on their land and
302 Low Carbon Development in China and India
but showing degradation 3m
2 Ecosystem restoration and
increase in forest cover (b) E co-restoration of degraded open 0.4 m
forests 1.8 m
Enhancing tree cover 0.6 m
(c) Restoration of grasslands 0.8 m
3 in Urban and Peri- 0.1 m
Urban areas (including (a) Rehabilitation of Shifting 0.1 m
0.1 m
institutional lands) Cultivation areas 0.1 m
(b) Restoring scrublands
Agro-forestry and social (c) Restoring/planting seabuckthorn 0.2 m
(d) Restoration of mangroves
4 forestry (increasing (e) Ravine reclamation 3m
biomass and creating (f) Restoration of abandoned mining
0.1 m
carbon sink) areas
5 Restoration of wetlands
Source: MOEFCC (2013)
Forests provide us with a range of ecosystem goods and services such as
carbon sequestration and storage, climate regulation, food production,
and sociocultural services. Forests also play a fundamental role in the
preservation of global ecological systems. However, with the recent
phase of forest degradation and deforestation, the critical functions
provided by the forest ecosystems are being increasingly threatened
(FAO 1997). To address these issues and in order to safeguard forest
ecosystems, it is important that forestry resources and services are
valued appropriately. Viable financial mechanisms need to be used
to promote sustainability across forest ecosystems. The Fourteenth
Finance Commission rightly identified the need to ‘balance management
of ecology, environment and climate change consistent with sustainable
economic development’ and added the new criterion of forest cover for
devolution of central taxes to the states. This would encourage states
to take up afforestation and reforestation activities on their land and
302 Low Carbon Development in China and India
