Dehradun based ICFRE set to improve status of forests through research interventions

Dehradun based Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), along with its nine research institutes and five centres spread across India, are set to work on forestry research issues of national importance for sustaining ecology and enhancing the productivity of Indian forests and plantation.

A meeting of the governing body of National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (National-CAMPA) was held in New Delhi on November 15, chaired by Prakash Javadekar Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Javadekar along with Dr SC Gairola, Director General, ICFRE, presented a detailed scheme -- "Strengthening Forestry Research for Ecological Sustainability and Productivity Enhancement".

The National CAMPA Governing body approved Rs 313.67 crore scheme of ICFRE that will be spread over five years.

Forestry research will get the much-required funds for addressing the research problems of national importance that will have a direct bearing on the forest health of the country and livelihood of people dependent on forest and agriculture.

Through this scheme, ICFRE and its Institutes will be working on 31 major All India Coordinated Research Projects that will improve health, productivity and restore degradation of forests and plantation. Clones and varieties of important tree species will be developed and provided to farmers and state forest departments for plantation.

Important topics of tree fodder, fuelwood, NTFP, wild fruits, soil moisture, biodiversity, conservation and diseases will also be addressed.

Forest Genetic Resource (FGR) Conservation is another area of importance that will be taken up at the national level to conserve the gene pool for posterity and future generation.

Capacity building of State Forest Departments for preparing "State REDD+Action Plan" is the third component of the scheme.

Forest Policy Research on the lines of agriculture policy will provide the much-needed policy guidance to the government in designing various policies and studying the impacts of existing forest policies. This aspect will be dealt with the fourth component of the scheme.

Outreach programme for extension of technologies had been the weakest link in the forestry research. This will be strengthened through this scheme by adopting the "Forestry Extension Plan of ICFRE". Reaching out to stakeholders is the main theme of this component of ICFRE.

Human resource development to enhance the scientific capabilities of scientists in newer areas will also be addressed through the scheme.

ICFRE institutes are already working on the preparation of rejuvenation plans of 13 major rivers of the country.