Forest policies and programs affecting vulnerability and adaptation to climate change

Afreen, Shamama and Sharma, Nitasha and Chaturvedi, Rajiv Kumar and Gopalakrishnan, Ranjith and Ravindranath, NH (2011) Forest policies and programs affecting vulnerability and adaptation to climate change. In: Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 16 (2, Sp.). pp. 177-197.

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Abstract

Due to large scale afforestation programs and forest conservation legislations, India's total forest area seems to have stabilized or even increased. In spite of such efforts, forest fragmentation and degradation continues, with forests being subject to increased pressure due to anthropogenic factors. Such fragmentation and degradation is leading to the forest cover to change from very dense to moderately dense and open forest and 253 km(2) of very dense forest has been converted to moderately dense forest, open forest, scrub and non-forest (during 2005-2007). Similarly, there has been a degradation of 4,120 km(2) of moderately dense forest to open forest, scrub and non-forest resulting in a net loss of 936 km(2) of moderately dense forest. Additionally, 4,335 km(2) of open forest have degraded to scrub and non-forest. Coupled with pressure due to anthropogenic factors, climate change is likely to be an added stress on forests. Forest sector programs and policies are major factors that determine the status of forests and potentially resilience to projected impacts of climate change. An attempt is made to review the forest policies and programs and their implications for the status of forests and for vulnerability of forests to projected climate change. The study concludes that forest conservation and development policies and programs need to be oriented to incorporate climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change
Publisher:	Springer
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to Springer.
Keywords:	Forest policies; Pressures on land; Forest status; Climate change impacts; Vulnerability reduction; India
Department/Centre:	Division of Biological Sciences > Centre for Ecological Sciences Division of Mechanical Sciences > Centre for Sustainable Technologies (formerly ASTRA)
Date Deposited:	04 Mar 2011 06:36
Last Modified:	28 Feb 2019 09:00
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/35801

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