FAO Committee on Forestry India Restoration Targets — UPPSC current affairs 29 September 2026

India presented its forest and landscape restoration achievements at the 28th Session of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO 28) in Rome.

Bonn Challenge

A global effort to restore 150 million hectares of degraded land by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030.

Committee on Forestry (COFO)

The premier statutory advisory body to the FAO on technical and policy matters related to global forests.

Carbon Sink

A natural reservoir, such as a forest or ocean, that absorbs more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it releases.

MISHTI Scheme

Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes, aimed at mangrove afforestation along India's coastline.

COFO is the primary statutory body of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that identifies emerging policy and technical issues in global forestry.
The 28th session in Rome focused on Forest and Landscape Restoration, integrated sustainable forest management, and community-led climate action.

India's combined forest and tree cover stands at 82.74 million hectares, representing 25.17% of the nation's total geographical area.
According to FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025, India ranks 9th globally in total forest area and 3rd in net annual forest area gain.
Under the Bonn Challenge commitment to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, India has brought 21.76 million hectares under active restoration.
India updated its carbon sink target to create an additional sink of 3.5 to 4.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2035 relative to 2005 levels.

Provides vital quantitative metrics for Prelims questions on India's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and global environmental treaty commitments.
Highlights key landscape-level ecological interventions including the Aravalli Green Wall initiative and MISHTI for coastal mangrove restoration.

India ranks 9th globally in total forest area and 3rd in net annual forest area gain according to FAO FRA 2025.
Under the Bonn Challenge, India has restored 21.76 million hectares out of its 26 million hectares target for 2030.

Examine the significance of integrated landscape restoration approaches like the Aravalli Green Wall and MISHTI in achieving India's NDC climate goals.

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