Forest Policy

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon drops by nearly 31% compared to last year

Forest loss in Brazil's Amazon dropped by 30.6% compared to the previous year, officials said Wednesday, the lowest level of destruction in nine years. In a 12-month span, the Amazon rainforest lost 6,288 square kilometers (2,428 square miles), roughly the size of the U.S. state of Delaware. The results, announced in Brazils presidential palace, sharply contrast with President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva's predecessor, far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, who prioritized agribusiness expansion over forest protection and weakened environmental agencies. Deforestation hit a 15-year high during his term. Deforestation in Brazil's vast savannah, known as the Cerrado, decreased by 25.7%, the first decline in five years. The area destroyed reached 8,174 square kilometers (3,156 square miles). Located in central Brazil, it is the world's most biodiverse savannah but has fewer legal protections than the Amazon. Despite the success in curbing Amazon deforestation, Lula's government has been ...

Goa's forest min warns of FIRs for violators of Preservation of Trees Act

Goa Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane on Friday said his department will register first information reports (FIRs) against persons violating the Preservation of Trees Act. People take permission from the deputy conservators of forest from the North and South Goa divisions to fell trees citing some requirements, but end up violating the Preservation of Trees Act, the minister told PTI. "Once they get permission, people go completely against the rules," he said. Rane said directions have been issued to the principal chief conservator of Forest to register FIRs against violators, and the department will come down heavily on them. Rane, who heads the Town and Country Planning (TCP) department, said action will be taken against people involved in illegal landfilling. Several cases of illegal landfilling have been brought to the government's notice, and the department is probing them, he said. The minister said that Bicholim MLA Chandrakant Shetye had recently filed a complaint against th

Amended biological diversity law raises fear of loss for tribals

The mandated percentage of earnings that goes as ABS ranges from 0.1 to 0.5 per cent of sales, depending on the company's revenue, according to AYUSH industry estimates

Proposed change to forest law will boost oil, gas exploration, says report

The Centre can speed up the granting of exploration permits for oil and gas resources by easing seismic surveys in forest lands

Deaths of Cheetahs in Kuno were expected: South Africa forest dept

Reintroducing large carnivorous animals to a new habitat is extremely complex and a risky endeavour

Over 62,016 ha forest land diverted, 1.95 mn trees cut for Odisha projects

Odisha, one of Indias most natural calamity-prone states, has diverted 62,016 hectares of forest land and 19.50 lakh trees have been cut down for non-forestry purposes till 2022

Manish Tewari writes to Om Birla over forest bill sent to joint panel

Congress MP Manish Tewari wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday over the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, being sent to a joint committee and demanded that it be examined by the standing committee. Tewari's letter to Birla comes a day after senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh lodged a protest with Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar over the bill being sent to a joint committee and demanded that it be examined by the standing committee, headed by Ramesh. Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav introduced the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The Bill was then sent to a joint committee of both the Houses for discussion. The Bill seeks to bring clarity to the country's forest conservation law and exempt certain categories of land from its purview to fast-track strategic and security-related projects of national importance. In his letter to Birla, Tewari raised the issue of the "unusual manner" in which the Forest (Conservation

Tribal economy set to get a fillip; Madhya Pradesh govt notifies PESA Act

According to the state forest minister Vijay Shah, in this year's Van Mela, forest products worth Rs 3 crore were sold

Area under moderately dense mangroves fell in 10 years, shows data

Overall mangrove cover increased between 2011 and 2021

Why even a leftist govt under Lula may not restore Brazil's forests

A sharp left-right dichotomy is a common way to think about the stakes in the runoff poll on Oct. 30. Still, as with the candidates' economic platforms, their forest policies have a lot more in common

India's forest cover growth slows to 8-year low in 2021: Survey

Northeast states see highest decline in forest cover

Forest cover declined by 22.62 sq km in 52 tiger reserves in 10 yrs: Study

The India State of Forests Report (ISFR) 2021 was released by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav

Expanding forest cover

Proposed legal amendments are in the right direction

The real oximeter

The oxygen that we get from nature is about increasing green cover and ensuring that our air - our every breath - is not polluted.

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New forest policy on anvil; climate change a key feature, says official

It's going to be the country's fourth forest policy after the ones launched in 1894, 1952 and 1988

Good, only in parts: Draft forest policy needs several improvements

Objective of new policy has to be to invigorate forests and maintain their vital plant and wildlife biodiversity

No deadline to implement long pending Inviolate Forest Policy, says govt

Policy recommends keeping 40% of India's forests safe from all kind of mining