Nature Will Protect Those Who Protect the Nature: Ashwini Kumar Choubey

Dehradun (The Hawk): ICFRE is organizing an International Workshop on "Enhancing Ecosystem Services by Improving Forest Quality & Productivity and SLEM Knowledge Dissemination" from 22 to 24th March, 2023 in hybrid mode at ICFRE, Dehradun. The Workshop was inaugurated by the chief guest Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Hon'ble Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Govt of India on 22.03.2023. The dignitaries present on dais were Shri Arun Singh Rawat, Director General, ICFRE, Sh. B. K. Singh, Additional Director General of Forest (Forestry), MoEF&CC, Govt. of India, Sh. Pravir Pandey, Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor, MoEF&CC, Govt. of India; Sh. Anupam Joshi, Senior Environment Expert from World Bank and Smt. Kanchan Devi, Director (I.C.), ICFRE. 

During the inaugural session, Hon'ble Minister of State told that we are meeting at a time when India is setting new goals for the next 25 years of 'Amrit Kaal'. He appreciated the efforts of ICFRE in developing a road map for Institutional and policy mainstreaming of Sustainable Land and Ecosystem Management (SLEM) in India with the help of World Bank, as a follow up of announcement made by the Hon'ble Prime minister of India to set up a Centre of Excellence on SLEM at ICFRE, Dehradun to address the issues of land degradation. He emphasized that the nature will protect those who protect the nature and told that we as a nation never exploited the nature instead we worshiped the nature and stressed on sustainable utilization and circular economy for conservation of forests. He congratulated ICFRE for organizing the international workshop. 

DG, ICFRE welcomed the chief guest and other dignitaries. He told that the conservation of natural resources, forests, biodiversity and restoration of degraded lands can be attained through Sustainable Land and Ecosystem Management (SLEM). This can be achieved through increased participation of local community, conserving biodiversity, and maintaining ecosystem services. The concept of Ecosystem services has gained global momentum as they hold immense importance for human well-being. Total value of ecosystem services (TEV) for India is USD $1.8 trillion/year. Regions like Terai Arc landscape and Jim Corbett have the TEV of 390 billion (US$6 billion) and USD $2,153,174.3, respectively. Sh. Pravir Pandey, Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor to MoEF&CC, Govt. of India stressed on green finances and said that the funds to be utilized by R&D organizations in synergy so that it benefit the society. Sh. B.K. Singh, Additional Director General of Forest (Forestry), MoEF&CC, Govt. of India complemented ICFRE on successfully implementing the ESIP in Chhattisgarh & Madhya Pradesh and further the same to be replicated in other areas. Over 200 delegates from National and international research organizations from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Japan Malaysia, Nepal and Thailand, Universities, SFDs, representatives from World Bank, FAO, GIZ, UNDP, from ICFRE DDGs, ADGs, Directors of Institutes, Scientists & officers were present during the inaugural session. The vote of thanks was delivered by Smt. Kanchan Devi, Director (I.C.), ICFRE.