report of - of Planning Commission

REPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP ON RESEARCH, EDUCATION, TRAINING, CAPACITY BUILDING AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS SECTOR
FOR
THE ELEVENTH FIVE YEAR PLAN
(2007-2012) [pic] Government of India
Planning Commission
New Delhi REPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP ON RESEARCH, EDUCATION, TRAINING, CAPACITY BUILDING AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS SECTOR
FOR
THE ELEVENTH FIVE YEAR PLAN
(2007-2012) [pic] Government of India
Planning Commission
New Delhi Contents
|Contents |Page |
|Preface |1 |
|Summary |3 |
|Chapter 1: Introduction |5 |
|Chapter 2: Existing Institutional Set up |10 |
|Chapter 3: Salient achievements of X Plan |22 |
|Chapter 4: Emerging Challenges and Vision for future |47 |
|Chapter 5: Strategies and Approach for the XI Plan |63 |
|Chapter 6: Thrust Areas for XI Plan |77 |
|Chapter 7: Proposals for XI Plan |98 |
|Summary of Recommendations |129 |
|Annexure | |
|1. List of Working Group Members & Terms of Reference |144 |
|2: Sub Groups Constitution |147 |
|3. Abbreviations |152 | PREFACE Indian Environment and Forests Sector is facing major challenges in
the fast changing global and Indian scenario. It requires no less a
revolutionary approach than the 'green' or 'white' revolution. The key
environmental challenges that the country faces relate to the nexus of
environmental degradation with poverty in many dimensions, and economic
growth. Further, The role of forests in poverty alleviation, providing
goods and services to the society, ensuring environmental security of the
country and promoting carbon sequestration has assumed much greater
importance than ever before. There are a number of other important
ecosystems lying outside the traditional boundaries of the forests which
require direct or indirect interventions of foresters in association with
other stakeholders. The Research and Development (R&D) strategy has to take
into account conservation and sustainable management of forests and forest
production possibilities outside forests. We need a Common Research and
Development Agenda. Also, the level of expectations from the forestry profession has gone
up. The foresters, scientists, researchers and educationists are required
to play multifarious roles to deal with a variety of externalities besides
coping up with the traditional forestry and emerging sustainable forestry
demands. These roles demand high degree of expertise and competence in
various fields requiring up-gradation of technical skills and development
of professional capabilities in dealing with social, environmental,
economic and developmental issues. All stakeholders need to get involved.
The State and Central Research Institutions and Agricultural Universities
have to work hand in hand to achieve national goals. The Planning Commission (Environment and Forests Unit), vide its
letter No. M-13033/1/2006-E&F dated 21 August 2006, constituted a Working
Group on Research, Education, Training, Capacity Building and Information
Management for the Environment and Forests Sector for the Eleventh Five
Year Plan (2007-2012), under the Chairmanship of the Secretary, MoEF. Keeping in view the enormity of the exercise and diversity of issues
involved, four Sub Groups were created to deal with a specific themes. Sub
Groups held meetings for deliberating upon the various issues pertaining to
this topic. In between and later informal discussions through email amongst
the members of the sub groups were also held particularly for those members
who could not attend all the meetings due to their preoccupations. The Chairman wishes to place on record his appreciation and thanks to
all the members of the Working Groups and Sub Groups and for freely
providing his time and actively participating in the deliberations.
(Jagdish Kiswan)
Director General, ICFRE
&
Member Secretary, Working Group
SUMMARY The Planning Commission, Government of India resolved to set up a
Working Group on Research , Education, Training & Capacity Building and
Information Management for the Environment and Forests Sector for the
Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007 - 2012) ,under the Chairmanship of the
Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests GOI. The Terms of Reference
(TOR) of the working groups ranged from making a critical review of
achievements in the field of Environmental and Forestry related Research
and Education during the X Five Year Plan to recommending strategy and
approaches on research education, extension, training and capacity building
and information management; critically examining the role of research
institutes in the environment and forest sector and suggesting measures for
effective coordination between the scientific ministries of the Govt. of
India dealing with Environmental and Forestry related activities. The TOR
further called for recommending on guiding principles for research
priorities based on the global commitments or conservation and national
needs and establishment of data and information base for understanding
assessment planning and monitoring. Considering the enormity of the task involved, four Sub Groups on (i)
Environmental Research, Education and Extension; (ii) Forestry Research,
Education and Extension; (iii) Training and Capacity Building; and (iv)
Information Management were constituted by the chairman to deliberate on
the issues and develop documents. The sub groups were to go into the
ramification of the Terms of Reference. This document is the outcome of
detailed discussions and the conclusions derived by these four sub groups. The document spreads over seven chapters. The state of Environment
and Forests in India during the last five decades along with the global
challenges being faced currently have been dealt in the Introduction. The vision, objectives mandate and activities of the major institutes
under Govt. of India like, ICFRE, IGNFA, DFE ,FSI, IPIRTI and IIFM are
dealt at length under chapter 2 . Universities and other institutes have
also been dealt in this chapter. Review of the salient achievements by
various institutes and organizations during the X Five-Year Plan have been
elaborated in the third chapter. Chapter four deals with the major
challenges and vision for future. Broad areas of research forestry
extension and environmental research and education have been discussed in
detail in chapter five under strategies and approach. The major thrust
areas like agroforestry, watershed management, forest, fire, biodiversity
conservation impact of diseases, medicinal and NWFP, forest products and
industries and technologies for transfer have been identified under chapter
six. Chapter seven contains recommendations and proposals of the Working
Group with analytical justification of the same and highlighting the
prioritized Action Plan for the XI Five Year Plan. Also major research
programmes under which environment related research could be supported have
been mentioned in this chapter. Lastly, to meet the targets, budgets for Environment and Forest
Research, Education ,Extension, Training & Capacity Building and
Information Management have been worked out and an abstract of the total
outlay given. A total outlay of Rs.70,319.43 lakhs has been proposed for
the XI Five Year Plan . Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION "A diverse developing society such as ours provides numerous challenges in
the economic, social, political, cultural, and environmental arenas. All of
these coalesce in the dominant imperative of alleviation of mass poverty,
reckoned in the multiple dimensions of livelihood security, health care,
education, empowerment of the disadvantaged, and elimination of gender
disparities. Across the political spectrum of the country there has been
recognition of the vital role natural resources play in providing
livelihoods, and securing life-support ecological services. Sustainable
development concerns in the sense of enhancement of human well-being,
broadly conceived, are a recurring theme in India's development philosophy.
The present day consensus reflects three foundational aspirations. For this
to occur there is a need for balance and harmony between economic, social
and environmental needs of the country. India also plays an important role
in several significant international initiatives concerned with the
environment. It is a party to t