Context
- Recently, India highlighted its achievements in forest and landscape restoration at the 28th Session of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO 28), held in Rome from September to October 2026.
About COFO 28 and India’s Stand in the Session
- Organiser: Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Committee on Forestry.
- Session: Twenty-eighth Session, in Rome.
- FAO focus: Forest and Landscape Restoration, welcomed by India.
- India’s stand: Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) is an integrated framework for restoration at the landscape level, responding to national circumstances and local community needs.
- India highlighted the consistent progress made in enhancing its forest resources.
India’s Forest Resources Status
- Forest and tree cover: 82.74 million hectares.
- This constitutes 25.17% of India’s geographical area.
- According to the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025:
- India ranks 9th globally in forest area.
- India ranks 3rd in net annual forest area gain.
Restoration Initiatives Showcased in COFO 28
- In COFO 28, India reaffirmed its Bonn Challenge commitment to restore 26 million hectares by 2030, with 21.76 million hectares already restored through initiatives including Aravalli Green Wall and MISHTI.
- India also highlighted 6.45 million hectares identified for Aravalli restoration and India’s Ramsar Sites reaching 101.
- Bonn Challenge: Commitment to restore 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030; 21.76 million hectares already under restoration.
- Aravalli Green Wall: About 6.45 million hectares of degraded land identified for restoration.
- MISHTI: Advances mangrove restoration in coastal landscapes, strengthening climate resilience and local livelihoods.
- Ramsar Sites: Number of sites in India has reached 101.
- Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam – Plant4Mother: Whole-of-government and whole-of-society initiative; more than 3.5 billion saplings planted.
India’s Key Asks at COFO 28
- Implementation: Country-led action, capacity building, technology transfer and measurable outcomes.
- Finance: Sustainable financing and better access to climate, biodiversity and blended finance.
- Coherence: Greater alignment between FAO forestry work, Global Forest Goals and other forest processes.
- Cooperation: Strengthened South-South and triangular cooperation.
- UN Decade: Support for the proposed UN Decade for Afforestation and Reforestation (2027–2036) aligned with Sustainable Forest Management.
Conclusion
India used COFO 28 to showcase its forest cover, carbon sink progress and restoration initiatives, while calling for country-driven implementation backed by finance, technology and capacity support.
| Important CTC from this article for UPSC Prelims – Bonn Challenge |