As the global community gathers for the Conference of Parties (COP) 28 in Dubai on Thursday, 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 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and combating global warming. This year’s conference, starting 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 on December 2, 2023. The Bihar team will leave for Dubai on Friday.
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 emphasised the results of Bihar’s afforestation efforts, stating, “Under the leadership of 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 organisations, including World Resources Institute (WRI) India, aims to complement India’s efforts and make Bihar carbon neutral by 2070.
“The climate resilient and low carbon development strategy for Bihar encompasses both adaptation and mitigation efforts, including the development of climate impact scenarios, vulnerability assessments, and capacity building for government departments. Bihar’s unique position allows it to reap the benefits of this comprehensive strategy, positioning the state for a sustainable and resilient future. With the support and collaboration of various international organizations, Bihar is not only shaping its own low-carbon development pathway but is also contributing to a broader global movement towards climate-resilient and sustainable development,” Piyush Tripathi, Manager - Communication, Climate,WRI India told The Hindu.
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.
