Why in news
- India presented its forest and landscape restoration achievements at the 28th Session of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO 28) in Rome.
Key terms
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.
What is COFO 28?
- 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 Forestry Achievements and Targets
- 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.
Why it matters
- 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.
Prelims facts
- 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.
Mains discussion
- Examine the significance of integrated landscape restoration approaches like the Aravalli Green Wall and MISHTI in achieving India's NDC climate goals.
Source: PIB English
Same topic · past papers
UPSC has asked this before
These previous-year questions sit on the same topic. Open one to practise the earlier ask.
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2015 · Q74 · General Studies · 2 marks
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2026 · Q71 · General Studies · 2 marks
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2025 · Q90 · General Studies · 2 marks
Which organization has enacted the Nature Restoration Law (NRL) to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss? -
2020 · Q60 · General Studies · 2 marks
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2026 · Q53 · General Studies · 2 marks
Ms. X is a mid-level civil service official working in the urban development department of a major city. Recently, she was involved in approving a contract for a public infrastructure project - a new community park. During the approval process, she received a piece of confidential information indicating that one of the shortlisted contractors had a history of poor workmanship and allegations of corruption in other cities, though nothing had been legally proven. The Head of the Department, Mr. Y, advised her not to disclose this information to the project committee or the public because it could delay the project and damage the city's reputation. However, Ms. X believed that withholding such information compromised transparency and public trust. What amongst the following should Ms. X do now? 1. Immediately disclose the information to the project committee and the public 2. Recommend removing the contractor from the shortlist to protect the project's integrity 3. Propose a 'limited disclosure' to an oversight committee, while keeping the information confidential from the public for the time being Select the answer using the code given below: