Bihar to Showcase Groundbreaking Afforestation Initiatives at COP28 in Dubai

Patna: As the global community gathers for the Conference of Parties (COP) 28 in Dubai, selected officials from Bihar are set to present a range of afforestation initiatives that have the potential to serve as a role model in the fight against climate change. The Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (DoEFCC) of Bihar government will showcase a comprehensive overview of its sustainable practices during its intervention in the India Pavilion at Dubai, underscoring the state’s commitment to environmental stewardship.

COP is an annual gathering of countries which are signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), aimed at measuring progress, negotiating multilateral responses, limiting GHG emissions, and combating global warming. This year’s conference, taking place from November 30 to December 12 at Expo City, Dubai, will host representatives from 198 signatory countries.

A delegation to Dubai, led by a three-member team of senior officials from the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, including Secretary Bandana Preyashi, Director (Ecology) Surendra Singh, and Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Head of Forest Force) Ashutosh, will present key afforestation initiatives. These initiatives include the Hariyali Mission (Green Mission), Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Mission, Agriculture Roadmap, and Green Budget, among others.

The salient features of Bihar’s afforestation schemes to be showcased at COP28 include a focus on indigenous plants, the active involvement of JEEVIKA (a state-run Self-Help Group of Women) in plantation and nursery raising, large-scale agroforestry on farmers’ land, and the integration of afforestation activities with soil moisture conservation measures to facilitate forest regeneration.

Secretary Bandana Preyashi emphasized the results of Bihar’s afforestation efforts, stating, “Under the leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Bihar has emerged as a role model in climate crisis management through afforestation. The state’s green cover has increased from 9.9% in 2019 to 14.75% in 2021, with a total of 381.008 million plantations made since the launch of Hariyali Mission in 2012-13. The total carbon sequestration as a result has been 56.88 million tonnes as per the India State of Forest Report, 2021.”

Secretary Preyashi highlighted that the afforestation initiatives have resulted in increased water availability in forest fringe areas and improved fertility in natural forests. Furthermore, she noted the positive impact on the livelihoods of farmers engaged in agroforestry and the skill development and income generation for women associated with JEEVIKA groups in nursery management.

In a strategic partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Bihar government, through the Bihar State Pollution Control Board, has collaborated on the project titled “Climate Resilient & Low Carbon Development Strategy for Bihar” targeting to build climate resilience of people and systems and aiming to make Bihar net-zero aligned with India’s global target. The strategy, developed by a technical consortium of internationally renowned organizations, including WRI India, aims to complement India’s efforts and make Bihar carbon neutral by 2070.

Bihar’s Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali mission has garnered attention from the United Nations in the past as well. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar participated in a high-level virtual roundtable on Climate Ambition in September 2020, where he outlined Bihar’s commitment to global efforts to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050 through water conservation and afforestation initiatives.

As Bihar stands at the forefront of sustainable practices, the delegation aims to inspire global cooperation and underscore the pivotal role of afforestation in mitigating climate change.