In a note circulated for Cabinet approval to seek funds to make the mission operational, the environment ministry has proposed that parts of Indian forest, which are most vulnerable to climate change, will be identified using satellite mapping and on ground research.
"It is not possible to bring entire forest area under the Green India Mission as that sort of funds would not be available," a senior ministry official explained.
Therefore, the ministry wants to concentrate on vulnerable forest areas and make an effort to protect them from likely impact of climate change.
The Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore, has identified seven vulnerability criteria for identification of forests based on forest diversity and density. The government also wants to cover all wildlife corridors, critical wildlife habitats, important water sources and biodiversity habitats in these special protection areas. Read the full report here.
Source: Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times, New Delhi.
