India Showcases Stellar Forest Conservation Record at UN Forum

India Celebrates Forest Success at UNFF20

India took center stage at the 20th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF20), held in New York from May 5th to 9th, 2025, proudly showcasing its impressive achievements in forest conservation and sustainable forest management.

Boosting Forest Cover and Biodiversity

The Indian delegation highlighted a remarkable increase in forest and tree cover, now spanning 25.17% of the country’s land area according to the latest India State of Forest Report. This success is attributed to a number of key initiatives, including:

• • The Aravalli Green Wall: A groundbreaking project aimed at restoring degraded land.
  • Mangrove Restoration: A 7.86% increase in mangrove cover over the past decade.
  • Green India Mission: Afforestation efforts covering over 1.55 lakh hectares.
  • Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam: A nationwide campaign that has planted 1.4 billion seedlings.

A Global Call for Big Cat Protection

A major highlight of India’s participation was a bold invitation extended to all UN Member States to join the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA). This global platform, launched by India, aims to safeguard the seven big cat species through collaborative research, knowledge sharing, and capacity building.

Sharing Expertise and Promoting Action

India actively engaged in discussions on key forestry issues, advocating for global action on the outcomes of the Country-Led Initiative (CLI) hosted in Dehradun in October 2023. This CLI focused on forest fire management and forest certification. The delegation also commended the efforts of other CLIs led by the Republic of Congo, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and Austria.

Showcasing India’s Forest Restoration Approach

India hosted a side event titled “Restoring Degraded Forest Landscapes: India’s Approach to Sustainable Forest Management and Climate Resilience,” sharing its innovative strategies and experiences. The event emphasized the importance of integrated forest restoration through policy innovations, resource convergence, community engagement, and technology utilization for monitoring and evaluation.

Valuing Forest Ecosystems for Sustainable Planning

India participated in a high-level panel on “Valuing Forest Ecosystems in National Policy and Strategy.” The delegation shared findings from pilot studies conducted in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and tiger reserves, demonstrating how ecosystem services like carbon sequestration, water provisioning, and biodiversity conservation can be quantified using frameworks like the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA). While acknowledging challenges in valuing non-market services, India stressed the need to integrate ecosystem valuation into national planning for informed forest governance and long-term ecological sustainability.

Leading the Way Forward

The Indian delegation to UNFF20 was led by Shri Sushil Kumar Awasthi, Director General of Forests and Special Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.