Kerala govt announces policy for forest restoration with community participation

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government on Wednesday approved a major policy for restoration of natural forests in the state with community participation.

A government statement said the state Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today approved the policy, making Kerala the first state to undertake such large-scale forest restoration activities in the country.

As per the new policy, the government will undertake activities include returning trees to former forest land and improving the condition of degraded forests in the state. It talks about planting native tree species, conserving wild animals and plants and protecting the water sources and soil that are part of the forest ecosystem of the state mainly in its Western Ghats region.

''The ecological health of the existing forests has deteriorated due to various reasons. It is important to implement action plans for their protection and recovery with the participation of the people, especially the forest community,'' it said about the new forest restoration policy document.

The new policy, outlining a general view on how to protect the forest and allied areas, was prepared in the perspective of the White Paper on Environmental Protection published by the previous LDF government, it said.

Noting that the ecological problems due to over-exploitation of natural resources and destruction of habitats significantly affect human quality of life, the policy document said a healthy natural environment is an important factor in sustainable economic growth and a prosperous society.

The document talks about the need of identifying and eliminating those flora and fauna which are a hindrance to the health of forests and the habitat.

At the same time, it also examines the types of organisms that are beneficial to each habitat and puts forward activities for their propagation.

The document says to ensure sustainable development while ensuring environmental protection and protection of livelihoods, not only the Forest Department but also local governments, various other departments, NGOs, trade unions, students and the public should work together.

The government said implementation of its new Forest Restoration Policy with community participation will be a milestone in the history of Kerala. The government hopes that it will become a mass movement for forest restoration and thereby environmental protection in the southern state. Kerala has a forest area of 11,521.813 sq km and it forms around its 30 per cent of the total geographical area.