CA-20260929-7850Exam Essential
India Showcases Forest and Landscape Restoration at COFO 28 in Rome
29 Sept 2026
4 min read
Source:PIB India (Press Information Bureau)
India showcased its significant achievements in forest and landscape restoration at the 28th session of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO 28) held in Rome. The country emphasized the need for nation-led implementation, capacity building, and accessible climate finance to achieve global sustainability goals.
Key Highlights
- India's total forest and tree cover stands at 8.274 crore hectares, representing 25.17 percent of its total geographical area, driven by continuous afforestation policies.
- According to the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025, India ranks 9th globally in total forest area and 3rd in net annual forest area gain.
- India has created an additional carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2021, while scaling its 2035 target to 3.5–4.0 billion tonnes.
- Under the Bonn Challenge, India has already brought 2.176 crore hectares of degraded land under restoration against its national target of 2.6 crore hectares by 2030.
- Flagship domestic interventions such as the Aravalli Green Wall, MISHTI for mangroves, expansion of Ramsar sites to 101, and 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' were prominently highlighted.
Exam Quick Facts
Nodal Ministry / Dept
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
Key Bodies
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Committee on Forestry (COFO), CAMPA
Constitutional & Legal Context
Article 48A (Directive Principles of State Policy) and Article 51A(g) (Fundamental Duties) of the Constitution of India mandate the protection and improvement of the natural environment and forests.
Static GK Connection
The Bonn Challenge is a global goal to bring 150 million hectares of degraded and deforested landscapes into restoration by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030.
In-Depth Editorial Analysis
The participation of India at the 28th session of the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Committee on Forestry (COFO 28) in Rome marks a significant milestone in projecting its domestic ecological achievements onto global platforms. India's policy framework focuses on a decentralized, landscape-level approach that harmonizes sustainable forest management with the socio-economic needs of local forest-dependent communities. This integration forms the bedrock of India's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, aiming to build long-term climate resilience while expanding green cover across diverse topological zones.
Operationally, India's success is anchored in a multi-pronged institutional mechanism spanning national and sub-national levels. Key drivers include the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) for fund utilization, joint forest management committees for grassroots mobilization, and targeted missions like the National Mission for a Green India. Major technical interventions such as the Aravalli Green Wall initiative to combat desertification, the MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes) scheme for coastal resilience, and the community-driven 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign reflect an inclusive 'whole-of-society' governance model that merges bureaucratic execution with Jan Andolan (people's movement).
Despite these commendable achievements, structural challenges remain, particularly concerning predictable climate finance, technology transfer, and monitoring mechanisms for biodiversity loss. During COFO 28, India rightly advocated for blended finance mechanisms and enhanced support from multilateral agencies like the FAO to bridge the resource gap for developing nations. For UPSC aspirants, this event underscores the interplay between international environmental diplomacy, domestic policy targets (such as achieving net-zero emissions by 2070), and biodiversity conservation frameworks like the Ramsar Convention and Bonn Challenge.
Official Reference:PIB India (Press Information Bureau)