EEI, Hyderabad has conducted a webinar on Practices for Sustainable Forestry Sector on 13th November, 2024

Sustainable Forestry Management can be viewed as the sustainable use and conservation of forests with the aim of maintaining and enhancing multiple forest values through human interventions. People are at the centre of Sustainable Forestry Management because it aims to contribute to society's diverse needs in perpetuity. The United Nations describes Sustainable Forestry Management as a dynamic and evolving concept, that aims to maintain and enhance the economic, social and environmental values of all types of forests, for the benefit of present and future generations. Dr. Dr. Swapnendu Pattanaik, Scientist G, ICFRE-Institute of Forest Biodiversity, Hyderabad one of the speakers of the webinar delivered the talk on Sustainable Forestry Concepts and Practices for Meeting Socio-economic and Environmental Goals. The presentation focused on issues like Ecosystem Services (Goods & Services) from Forests, Evolution of Sustainable Forest Management, Implementing Sustainable Forestry Management – Geographic Scale, Need for Integrated and Multispectral Support, Role of Sustainable Forestry Management in Achieving 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Monitoring the Progress Towards Sustainable Forestry Management – Criteria & Indicators, Silvicultural Tools in Achieving Sustainable Forestry Management, need of Innovations in Sustainable Forestry Management. The presentation specifies that, forest ecosystem offers the services like supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural in nature. The wood based forest subsector contributed over 600 USD i.e 0.9 % of world’s economy. Worldwide, the forestry sector employs 13.2 million people in formal sector and 41 million people in informal sector. Sustainably managed forests has the potential to capture more amount of carbon from atmosphere thereby helping in climate change mitigation, SFM ensures adequate areas (Protection forests: forest in Eco sensitive zones, mountain tops) - managed specifically for biodiversity conservation, Forests help regulate water cycle, sustain water supply and maintain water quality. In 2015, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) reached a landmark agreement in Paris. This agreement encourages voluntary Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – efforts by countries to reduce national emissions and adapt to impacts of climate change. Implementation of SFM – a continuous process that requires monitoring at different spatial levels and different certification types like ITTO, FSC, PEFC. Technological, Social, Policy & Institutional and Financial innovations are needed to boost Sustainable Forestry Management. Forests as carbon sink is important for climate change mitigation. Later Dr. M. Jgan Mohan Reddy, Director, Extension Education Institute, Southern Region, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad one of the experts has delivered the topic as part of the webinar on ‘Extension Strategies for Promotion of Sustainable Forestry’. His presentation has underscored that, the Sustainable forestry practices are vital for preserving our forests. Technology transfer plays a crucial role in achieving this goal, by promoting adoption of innovative methods that enhance forest management and conservation. Need for Sustainable Forestry Practices in the form of Conserving Biodiversity, Protecting Water Resources, and Mitigating Climate Change. Challenges to Adoption of New Forestry Methods, Innovative Technology Transfer Approaches like Pilot Projects, Training and Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing Networks. Community Engagement and Capacity Building in the form of local knowledge and community ownership. Leveraging Digital Tools and Data Analytics in the form of Remote Sensing, mobile applications, and data sharing platforms. Incentivizing Sustainable Forestry Adoption in form of financial incentives, market access and recognition and rewards. Incentivizing Sustainable Forestry Adoption in the form of Streamlining Regulations, policy incentives, and collaboration and partnerships. Scaling Successful Technology Transfer Models like Replicating Best Practices and Investing in Education and Research. The benefits of technology transfer for forestry are offered in the form of Improved Forest Management, Enhanced Forest Productivity, and Increased Economic Benefits. Role of Key stakeholders in forestry technology transfer are specified. Future Trends in Forestry Technology-Exploring advancements for sustainable forestry practices and Strategies for Advancing Sustainable Forestry through Technology Transfer (Call for action) were illustrated in the presentation. The participants got the answers from the experts for their questions on the concept of Sustainable Forestry Management. Eighteen (18) middle level extension officials of departments of agriculture and allied sectors were participated in the webinar. Dr. M. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Director, Extension Education Institute, Southern Region, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad has conducted the webinar