India’s Forest and Landscape Restoration Model at COFO-28: Emphasis on Sustainable Forest Management, Carbon Sinks, and Climate-Resilient Ecosystems

India presented its initiatives in the field of forest and landscape restoration at the 28th session of the FAO’s Committee on Forestry (COFO-28) held in Rome. COFO is the FAO’s highest intergovernmental body on forestry and meets biennially. The 2026 session is being held from September 28 to October 2, with a broad focus on "Forests for food, resilience, and prosperity."

India’s Forest and Tree Cover and Carbon Sinks

At COFO, India highlighted that the country's forest and tree cover stands at 82.74 million hectares, representing 25.17% of its geographical area. According to the FAO’s Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025, India ranks 9th globally in terms of total forest area and 3rd in terms of annual net forest area growth. India has created an additional carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2021 and has set a target to create an additional carbon sink of 3.5–4.0 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2035, relative to 2005 levels.

Bonn Challenge and Land Restoration

India has committed to restoring 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030 under the Bonn Challenge. By June 2026, India had brought 21.76 million hectares of land under restoration efforts towards this goal. The global Bonn Challenge aims to restore 350 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030. This initiative addresses land degradation, desertification, biodiversity loss, and climate change.

Aravalli Green Wall and Ecosystem-based Restoration

India also presented the Aravalli Green Wall Initiative as an example of its landscape restoration approach. Approximately 6.45 million hectares of degraded land have been identified for restoration. This initiative promotes green cover, land conservation, and ecological restoration across the Aravalli landscape, spanning Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi. It is significant for controlling desertification, conserving soil, and enhancing biodiversity as well as water and climate resilience.

The Link Between Forest Restoration, Climate, Food Security, and Communities

At COFO-28, India emphasized linking Sustainable Forest Management to comprehensive landscape restoration, rather than limiting it merely to tree planting. Forests provide ecosystem services such as food, fuel, fodder, livelihoods, water conservation, and biodiversity. Therefore, it is essential to integrate forest restoration with the needs of local communities, climate adaptation, and livelihoods. India also emphasized country-driven implementation, capacity building, technology transfer, measurable outcomes, and financial resources for developing countries within the framework of international cooperation.

Broad Relevance for UPSC

This topic is directly linked to the themes of environment, biodiversity, climate change, land degradation, and sustainable development in GS Paper-III. It can also be connected to the UNCCD, Bonn Challenge, FAO, Sustainable Forest Management, Carbon Sinks, Land Degradation Neutrality, and ecosystem restoration. A potential question for the Mains examination could be: "How can forest and landscape restoration in India be integrated with climate action and livelihood security?" The answer could incorporate aspects such as the Bonn Challenge, Aravalli Green Wall, Green India Mission, community-based conservation, and international financial and technical cooperation. At the ongoing COFO-28, India has similarly emphasized country-driven implementation and measurable outcomes in these areas.