JICA funded Forestry and NRM Projects to enhance State's green cover: CM

Chief Minister, Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu addressed the three days 12^th Annual Workshop of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) assisted Forestry and Natural Resource Management (NRM) Projects held in Shimla today. While speaking virtually from Dharmshala, he highlighted the importance of increasing the green cover in Himachal Pradesh and said that currently, the state has a green cover of about 28 percent and the goal was to raise it to 30 percent by 2030.

He said that the JICA-funded Forestry and NRM Projects have been instrumental in enhancing the green cover to achieve this objective. Plantation has been done on more than 4,600 hectares of land have been covered with the help of advanced techniques and technological interventions over the past two years. The projects have also focused on developing nurseries and improving planting stock with an aim to produce over 60 lakh quality seedlings of various useful species for community and forestry purposes. Additionally, the modernization of 72 nurseries across the state is underway, Sh. Sukhu said.

The Chief Minister acknowledged the significant role of forests in an agrarian state like Himachal Pradesh, where the population heavily relies on forest resources for their livelihoods and ecosystem services. He emphasized the need to preserve and enhance forest wealth, especially in the context of global concerns over climate change and the search for environmentally friendly solutions.