ASCO Lecture 3 PDF

Lecture 3 Natural Resources: Land, Water and Forest Compiled by Dr. Jagadish Jena...

Lecture 3 Natural Resources: Land, Water and Forest Compiled by Dr. Jagadish Jena Assistant Professor (Agronomy) Our environment provides us variety of natural resources for our survival including air, water, soil, mineral, fossil fuel, plants and different organisms. Among these living components i.e., plants, animals and other organisms are called Biotic components and other non-living components i.e., air, water, soil, minerals, fossil fuels are called Abiotic components or resources. Ecosystem is formed by the interaction among these biotic and abiotic components. Human being with its evolution and modernization always tried to over exploit these natural resources more and more, leading to different resource degradation. Department of Land Resource is mandated with development of rainfed, degraded and watershed areas. It has five divisions 1. Watershed management division: Responsible for implementation of watershed development component of PMKSY (WDC-PMKSY), world bank assisted REWARD (Rejuvenating Watershed for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development) project and other inter departmental watershed development programs. 2. Land regulation division: Deals with right to fair compensation and transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013; Registration Act, 1908, land related issues in central and state province, implementation of Digital India Land Record Modernization Program (DILRMP), issues related to National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy, 2007, and other land related policies. 3. Program, monitoring and evaluation division: Deals with monitoring and evaluation of DILRMP, WDC-PMKSY, Dristi portals, etc. 4. Administrative and coordination division: Deals with recruitment, training of officers, and coordination. 5. Integrated finance division: Deals with budget estimates and audit with Ministry of Finance. According to Technical Task group formulated by Planning Commission (1987), Wasteland is defined as degraded lands that can be brought under vegetation with reasonable efforts and which are currently underutilized and land, which is deteriorating for lack of appropriate water and soil management or on account of natural causes. Watersheds are the basic units to treat such waste lands.  o WDC-PMKSY was launched during 2015-16. o REWARD program was launched in 2022 by MoRD & PR at Bangalore. It was implemented in two states – Karnataka and Odisha o Mission Amrit Sarovar, launched by PM on 24th April 2022 with the vision of constructing at least 75 Amrit Sarovar (ponds) in each district o The Digital Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) is a central sector scheme launched on 1st Oct 2016. Land Use record Statistics of land use are compiled from the village land records maintained by the patwari. The information is available according to each survey number and recorded under nine categories. 22 fold and 18 fold classification for land use or cover mapping done by NRSA. Maintained by: Land Revenue Department (9fold record) Reported area: 305 m ha for nine-fold classification i. Forests: 23.44% ii. Non-agricultural use: 9.03% iii. Barren and unculturable land: 5.43% iv. Permanent pasture and grazing land: 3.36% v. Culturable waste land (land not used for cultivation since > 5 years): 3.87% vi. Fallow land: 3.52% vii. Current fallow: 4.23% viii. Net sown area: 46.10% ix. Miscellaneous (Tree, crop, etc.) not taken as agriculture: 0.98% Causes for land use change: Mining, land degradation, climate change, agricultural expansion increasing population and developmental activities. Land holding o The average size of operational holding per person as per Agriculture census 2015-16 is – 1.08 ha o Percentage share of female land holding – 13.96 % o Marginal (0-1 ha) and small (1-2 ha) land holding – 86.08 % o Semi-medium (2-4 ha) and medium (4-10 ha) holding – 13.55 % o Large holding (> 10 ha) – 0.57 % o Per capita cultivated area declined from 0.53 ha (1951) to 0.11 ha (2011-12) o Rajasthan shares the largest to net sown area – 18.35 m ha (12.96% of net sown area) o Total 329 m ha (mountains 30%, plains 43% and plateau 27%)  o Permanent pastures and other grazing fields cover a total of 10.3 million hectares. This accounts for around 4% of the country’s overall reporting area. Annual Land Use and Land Cover Atlas of India released every year by – NRSC (National Remote Sensing Centre) since 2005 o Scale used – 1:50,000 o Resolution – 56 m o Classification use – 18 fold o TGA – 328.7 m ha o Border – 15,200 kms o Coastlines – 516.5 kms o Himalayan mountain range – 2500 kms A large area of salt marsh located in the western India between the Gulf of Kutch and the Indus River delta called – Rann Odisha o Total area – 15.57 m ha (4.87% of TGA of India) o Coastline – 480 kms o Four geographical regions – Northern Plateau, Central River Basins, Eastern Hills and Coastal Plains o Land Record Web Portal of Odisha – Bhulekh Water resource of India Organization responsible for policy guidelines and programs in India – Department of Water Resource, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR) and Ministry of Jal Shakti Major schemes and programs o Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Program (AIBP) – 1996-97 o PMKSY – 2015-16 (components = AIBP, CADWM, HKKP, SMI, RRR) o Rationalization of Minor Irrigation Statistics (RMIS) launched in 1987-88 renamed as Irrigation Census in 2017-18 and brought under umbrella scheme PMKSY. o Namami Gange Mission – 13th may 2015 o Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL) – April 2020 o Ground water management and regulation scheme – 2007-08 o Central Water Commission, HQ: New Delhi, 1945  o Central Soil and Material Research Station, HQ: New Delhi, 1954 o Ganga Flood Control Commission (GFCC): 1972 o National Water Informatics Centre (NWIC): 2018 o National Water Development Agency (NWDA): 1982 o National Water Mission (NWM): 2008 o National Institute Of Hydrology (NIH): Roorkee, 1978 o The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) was set up in July 1982 o North Eastern Regional Institute Of Water And Land Management (NERIWALM) o National Mission For Clean Ganga (NMCG): 2011 o Inter- State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 o Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019 o Dam Safety Act, 2021 o Indus Waters Treaty, 1960 Water resource o Total water received through precipitation: 3880 BCM o Utilizable – 1139 BCM (Surface: 690 BCM, Ground: 449 BCM) o Water potential utilized – 691 BCM (Surface: 450 BCM, Ground: 241 BCM) o Total requirement for the country for 2025 is 843 BCM and for 2050 is 1180 BCM o Annual per capita availability of water < 1700 cu m considered water stress and < 1000 cu m considered as scarcity condition. o Per capita water availability for the year 2021 and 2031 are 1486 and 1367 cu m respectively. o Annual ground water recharge – 449.08 BCM o Annual extractable ground water resource – 407.21 BCM o Annual ground water extraction for all uses – 241.34 BCM o Stage of ground water extraction (SoE) – 59.26% o Safe (SoE < 70%), semi-critical (SoE: 70-90%), Critical (SoE 90-100%), Over exploited (SoE > 100%) o National Water Policy – 1987 (revised in 2002 and 2012) Forest Resource India is lagging behind in the targets to increase the number and quality of tree- and forest- cover plantations set in the National Mission for a Green India (GIM). States with significant shortfall in tree cover include Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerela. How is Tree Cover Different from Forest Cover? Tree cover refers to the total area of land that is covered by trees, regardless of whether or not the trees are part of a forest ecosystem. Forest cover, on the other hand, refers specifically to the area of land that is covered by a forest ecosystem, which is defined as an area with a tree canopy density of more than 10% and an area of more than 1 hectares. So, all forest cover is tree cover, but not all tree cover is forest cover. What is the National Mission for a Green India? o GIM is one of the eight Missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. o It aims at protecting, restoring and enhancing India’s forest cover and responding to climate change. o The target under the Mission is 10 million hectares (Mha) on forest and non-forest lands for increasing the forest/tree cover and to improve the quality of existing forest. o The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change supports the States/Union Territories for carrying out afforestation activities through this Centrally Sponsored Scheme. o Improving tree cover is critical to sequester carbon and bolster India’s carbon stocks as part of its international commitments to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. What is the Status of Forests in India? o As per the India State of Forest Report-2021, forest and tree cover in the country increased by 2,261 square kilometres since the last assessment in 2019. o India’s total forest and tree cover was 80.9 million hectares, which accounted for 24.62% of the geographical area of the country. o The report said 17 States and Union Territories had more than 33% of their area under forest cover. o Madhya Pradesh had the largest forest cover, followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra.  o The top five States in terms of forest cover as a percentage of their total geographical area were Mizoram (84.53%), Arunachal Pradesh (79.33%), Meghalaya (76%), Manipur (74.34%) and Nagaland (73.90%). o Maximum increase in forest cover witnessed in Andhra Pradesh (647 sq km) followed by Telangana (632 sq km) and Odisha (537 sq km). o Total carbon stock in country’s forest is estimated to be 7,204 million tonnes, an increase of 79.4 million o Total mangrove cover in the country is 4,992 sq km, an increase of 17 sq Km observed Issues Associated with Forests in India Shrinking Forest Cover: According to the National Forest Policy of India, the ideal percentage of total geographical area under forest should be at least 33% to maintain ecological stability. However, it currently covers just 24.62% of the country’s land and is shrinking rapidly. Resource Access Conflict: There is often conflict between the interests of local communities and those of commercial interests, such as pharmaceutical industries or timber industries. This can lead to social tensions and even violence, as different groups struggle to access and use the resources of the forests. Climate Change: Forest disturbances caused by climate change, including insect outbreaks, invasive species due to climate led migration, wildfires, and storms, reduce forest productivity and change species distribution. By 2030, 45-64% of forests in India will experience the effects of climate change and rising temperatures. Government Initiatives for Forest Conservation: o National Afforestation Programme o Environment Protection Act of 1986 o Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 How can India Enhance its Forest Cover? Utilising Technology for Conservation: Technology can be utilised such as remote sensing, to monitor and track forest cover, forest fire and identify areas in need of protection. Also, Potential resource mapping can be done in unexplored forest areas, and they can be brought under scientific management and sustainable resource extraction maintaining density and forest health Dedicated Forest Corridors: For safe intrastate and interstate passage of wild animals and protecting their habitat from any external influence, dedicated forest corridors can be maintained giving a message of peaceful-co existence. Promoting Agroforestry: This practice involves integrating trees and forest-based products into farming systems. This can help increase forest cover and also provide farmers with additional income and resources. o 17 states/UT’s have above 33 percent of the geographical area under forest cover. Out of these states and UT’s, five states/UTs namely Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya have more than 75 percent forest cover while 12 states/UTs namely Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Goa, Kerala, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Assam, Odisha, have forest cover between 33 percent to 75 percent. o Total mangrove cover in the country is 4,992 sq km. An increase of 17 sq Km in mangrove cover has been observed as compared to the previous assessment of 2019. Top three states showing mangrove cover increase are Odisha (8 sq km) followed by Maharashtra (4 sq km) and Karnataka (3 sq km). o Total carbon stock in country’s forest is estimated to be 7,204 million tonnes and there an increase of 79.4 million tonnes in the carbon stock of country as compared to the last assessment of 2019. The annual increase in the carbon stock is 39.7 million tonnes. Odisha Forest The State has a recorded Forest area of 61204.17 Sq. Km. which is about 39.30% of its geographical area. This includes 26873.66 Sq. Km. of Reserve Forest, 9175.15 Sq. Km of Proposed Reserve Forest, 1085.22 Sq. Km of Protected Forest, 287.51 Sq. Km. of Village Forest, 4179.59 Sq. Km. of Demarcated Protected Forest, 4272.91 Sq. Km. of Un- Demarcated Protected Forest, 15117.30 Sq. Km of Revenue Forests, 22.06 Sq. Km. of Un- Classified Forests and 190.77 Sq. Km of private Forests. As per ISFR,2021, the forest cover of Odisha is 52,156 sq. km (33.50%) comprising 7,213 sq. km as Very Dense Forest, 20,995 sq. km as Moderately Dense Forest and 23,948 sq. km under Open Forest and the tree cover is 5004 sq. km. The State has gained 537 sq. km of forest cover and 356 sq. km of tree cover in the State over the assessment made by FSI in 2019. o “Green Mahanadi Mission” during 2018-19  o Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Govt. of India have accorded approval for diversion of forest land for non- forestry purpose under section 2 of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. o Under 5T initiaves, one application named “Mo Jungle: My Odisha Forest App” has been developed. All plantation assets which have been created during 2020 are brought under public domain through web application The state can physiographically be divided into four regions, viz, Northern Plateau, Eastern Ghats, Central Table Land and Coastal Plains. It has a coast line of about 480 kilometres stretched across the Bay of Bengal on its east, from Balasore to Ganjam with virgin beaches interspersed with a number of river mouths and deltas supporting coastal vegetation including mangroves and associated wild fauna. The average annual rainfall varies from about 1,200 mm to about 1,600 mm and the average annual temperature ranges from 25 C – 28 C. The state is drained by a number of important rivers, which includes Mahanadi, Brahmani and Baitarani. The state has 30 districts, among which 12 are tribal districts. As per the 2011 census, Odisha has a population of 41.97 million accounting for 3.47% percent of India’s population. Rural and urban populations respectively constitute 83.32% and 16.68%, whereas total tribal population in the state is 22.85%. The population density of the state is 270 per square kilometre, which is lower than the national average. The 20th Livestock census 2019 has reported a total livestock population of 61.01 million in the state. Odisha’s forests are well stocked, diverse, multi-storied and dense. As per the Champion & Seth Classification of Forest Types (1968), the forests in Odisha belong to four Forest type Groups which are further divided into 19 Forest Types. Two National Parks and 19 Wildlife Sanctuaries constitute the protected area network of the state covering 5.19% of its Geographical area. Forest area o Total Geographical Area 1, 55,707 Sq Km o Recorded Forest Area (RFA) 61,204 Sq Km o Forest Cover within Recorded Forest Area (Green Wash) 32,686 Sq Km o Forest Cover outside Recorded Forest Area (Green Wash) 19,470 Sq Km o Forest Cover Area 52,156 Sq Km  o Tree Cover (Outside Forest Area) 5,004 Sq Km o Total Forest & Tree Cover 57,160 Sq Km o Percentage of Forest Area (Recorded) to Geographical Area 39.31 % o Percentage of Forest Cover Area to Geographical Area 33.50 % o Percentage of Tree Cover Area to Geographical Area 3.21 % o Percentage of Forest & Tree Cover to Geographical Area 36.71 % Based on Satellite imagery, the forest and tree cover of the State is being assessed and published every two years by the Forest Survey of India, Government of India since 1997. The Recorded Forest Area (RFA) of the state is 61,204.17 square kilometer which is 39.31% of Geographical Area. The Reserved Forests (36,049 square kilometer), Protected Forests (25,133 square kilometer) and Unclassed Forests (22 square kilometer) are 58.90%, 40.75% and 0.35% of the RFA in the state respectively. As per the 2021 assessment by the Forest Survey of India, the forest cover in the State is 52,156 square kilometre i.e. 33.50% of its geographical area, while tree cover of the State is 5,004 square kilometre i.e. 3.21% of geographical area. The state has gained 537 square kilometres area of forest cover which is the third highest in the country and 356 square kilometres of tree cover second highest in the country within a period of 2 years i.e. from 2019 to 2021. So, the total forest and tree cover in the state has increased by 893 square kilometres during the period from 2019 to 2021. The total forest and tree cover area of forest constitutes 36.71% of the total Geographical Area of the state. Total Carbon Stock of Forest 444.83 million tonnes Hard work and Consistency is the key to success…