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Out of many options to fight with the climate change, development of green cushion through afforestation all over the country with various forestry models viz Agroforestry, Silvi-pastoral culture, Agro-horticulture, community forestry, Farm Forestry, Reserved forests etc is seems to be the important option. Recently, we came to know that the existing tree cover and oceans are saturated to absorb more carbon from the atmosphere. Now, the call for raising new forests/tree covers in the virgin areas like desert in Rajasthan alongwith protection and management of the existing forests/tree covers has emerged. The new areas to be put under tree cover or forest is again an issue that where in India?
Indian eyes seem to be rerouting on deserts regions of the country. A large chunk of desert is lying vacant (without vegetation) having very few population density and about 200mm average annual rainfall. Indian desert is spread over 0.32million Sq KMs area, does not have population pressure but water scarcity is the main problem. Nature provided there the typical vegetation species to survive in the water scarce conditions which are the source of livelihood of the desert communities. Due to continuous exploitation of the so called available vegetation, many precious species of desert like Fog, Rohida (desert teak) etc are now becoming endangered. The exotic species like Accacia tortolis and Prosopis juliflora spreading either sides of “Indira Canal” through various forestry projects developed green coverage in the area but impacting adversely on the desert ecology. The integrated efforts for development of forests with indigenous species and appropriate techniques befitting to the desert area will certainly enhance the desert ecology and increase green cushion of the country and contribute into climate change mitigation in the coming future.
