Program Summary

The focus of this activity is to develop a programmatic engagement in sustainable terrestrial landscapes management in India with cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder coordination.

Challenge

Managing forest and tree resources sustainably is at the heart of India’s measures to tackle climate change and land degradation and plays a critical role in ensuring a green recovery from the impacts of COVID-19.  India’s NDC aims to sequester 2.5-3 billion tons of CO2 equivalent by improving forest quality and creating new forests over 10,000 sq kms. As participant in the Bonn Challenge and signatory to the UNCCD, India is committed to achieving land degradation neutrality by 2030 by restoring degraded lands spanning 26,000 sq kms, one of the highest national commitments in the world. 

Approach

This PROGREEN activity will focus on mainstreaming a landscape approach that takes a holistic view of terrestrial landscapes, going beyond traditional forest areas and encompassing agricultural landscapes, grasslands, catchments and other land cover and use categories. This approach aims to maximize the landscapes’ carbon sequestration potential, biodiversity, and enhance ecosystem services such as sediment management and hydrological cycles, while generating economically viable goods and services and employment for local communities;  PROGREEN will add value to (i) capacity improvements and introducing new knowledge within India’s Forest Department, (ii) the use of an outcomes-oriented approach that devolves ambitious national targets at a state level and integrates them through the government’s flagship programmes (iii) the participation and collaboration of key sectors such as agriculture, transport, water resources, rural development  and stakeholders including government departments, donors and the private sector.  

In addition, PROGREEN will support the establishment of a knowledge platform that improves coordination among key donors, prioritizes landscapes, contributes to capacity building and strengthens institutional and inter-sectoral coordination aimed at achieving systematic and sustained institutional reforms. The platform will build on lessons from existing engagements within World Bank’s Forest, Water, and Agriculture portfolio.

[Expected] Results:

• Support a Knowledge Platform on Sustainable Terrestrial Landscape Management. 
• Support to World Bank’s programmatic engagement in selected terrestrial landscapes in India.
• Strengthening Institutional Framework for High Value Forest Product and Trees outside Forests (ToF) operations.