Regional workshop concludes
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 26 2015 :
A two-day regional workshop for North East States on "National Mission for a Green India" concluded today at Hotel Imphal.
The workshop was jointly organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India and Forest Department, Government of Manipur.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Bala Prashad stated that co-operation of the public through the panchayat level is a must and decisions will be taken from suggestions placed by public.
He added that for the past two years, National Mission for a Green India has not been so successful.
By organising such workshop, the short comings will be sorted out and submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Representatives from six North Eastern States took part in the workshop.
The National Mission for a Green India (GIM) is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change.
Climate change has affected and altered the distribution, type and quality of natural biological resources of the planet.
The main objective of GIM is to increase forest or tree cover to the extent of five million hectares and improve quality of forest on another five million hectares of forest or non- forest lands.
It also strives to improve or enhance ecosystem services like carbon sequestration and storage, hydrological services and biodiversity, along with provisioning services like fuel, fodder and timber and non- timber forest produces.
During the inaugural function of the workshop on June 25, Forest and Environment Minister Th Debendra had said Green India Mission is India's proactive initiative for carbon sequestration and multiple ecosystem services, specially biodiversity, water, biomass etc.
along with climate adaptation and mitigation.
It is interesting to know that the mission would integrate application of modern technology like remote sensing and GIS etc.
The mission would support use of Geomatics (remote sensing with GPS mapping of boundaries) for implementation and monitoring at the output/outcome level.
He said that in order to make GIM a people's movement it is crucial to engage multiple stakeholders including Government agencies, NGOs and CSOs, community representatives, acade- micia, media, people's representatives etc.
Chief Secretary PC Lawmkunga had stated during the inaugural session that the Government has submitted the State action plan in 2012 but still the Central Government has not sanctioned any money so far.