Describe the various measures for afforestation.
Afforestation is the process of establishing forests on land that has not been forested recently, while Reforestation is replanting trees on land that was previously forested. Both are critical for carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, soil protection, and climate change mitigation.
| Type | Description | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Production Forestry | Commercial plantations of fast-growing species | Timber, pulpwood, biomass |
| Protective Forestry | Planting for environmental benefits | Soil conservation, watershed protection |
| Social Forestry | Community-based tree planting | Fuelwood, fodder, local needs |
| Urban Forestry | Tree planting in cities | Air quality, cooling, aesthetics |
| Agroforestry | Trees integrated with agriculture | Sustainable land use, income |
| Technique | Description | Application |
|---|---|---|
| Seedling Planting | Transplanting nursery-raised seedlings | Most common; high survival rate |
| Direct Seeding | Sowing seeds directly in field | Large areas; lower cost but lower survival |
| Seed Balls (Miyawaki) | Dense planting of native species | Rapid forest creation; urban areas |
| Aerial Seeding | Dropping seed balls from aircraft | Inaccessible terrains; large scale |
| Cuttings/Vegetative | Planting stem cuttings | Specific species like poplar, willow |
Miyawaki Method: A Japanese technique involving dense planting (2-4 plants/sq.m) of multiple native species, creating self-sustaining forests 10x faster than conventional methods. Increasingly adopted in Indian cities for urban afforestation.
| Program | Description |
|---|---|
| National Afforestation Programme (NAP) | Afforestation of degraded forest lands through FDA/JFMCs |
| Green India Mission | Target: 10 million hectares additional forest cover by 2030 |
| CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation) | Afforestation using funds from forest diversion projects |
| Van Mahotsav | Annual tree planting festival (July) |
| Social Forestry Programs | Community-managed plantations for fuelwood, fodder |
| Nagar Van Scheme | Urban forests in cities (200 cities under target) |
Afforestation is a critical strategy for combating climate change, restoring degraded ecosystems, and providing socio-economic benefits. Effective afforestation requires proper planning (site selection, native species), systematic implementation (site preparation, appropriate planting techniques), and sustained post-planting care. India, with the target of creating additional carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tonnes CO2 equivalent through forest cover by 2030, has launched multiple programs including Green India Mission and CAMPA. Success depends on community participation, sustained funding, protection from encroachment, and long-term monitoring. Modern techniques like Miyawaki method offer promising approaches for rapid urban afforestation.