International workshop on forest carbon stock to begin today
New Delhi, Mar 7: A two-day international workshop on developing methodology for assessment of enhancement of forest carbon stock due to conservation sustainable management of forests and increase in forest cover will begin here today.
It aims to evolve a common strategy for developing modalities for accounting of incremental carbon due to forest conservation efforts and sustainable forest management by the developing countries.
This is being organised after the Conference of Parties (COP) 13 of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) under the agenda of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) in developing countries where India argued for incorporating the concept of "compensated conservation" as a policy approach for compensating countries adopting forest conservation policies and measures.
The workshop is being organised by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education in Dehradun and the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
The outcome of COP 13 at Bali has been very encouraging for the country's practicing conservation policies for their forest resources.
At the end of the Bali conference, role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks found place in COP decisions on Bal Action Plan, and reducing emissions from the deforestation and degradation in developing countries.
The task ahead now is to develop modalities and procedures for transparent and verifiable assessment of changes in forest cover, associated carbon stocks and green house gas emissions and also incremental changes in carbon stocks.
The workshop will have various technical sessions. Representatives from China, Costa Rica, Cameroon, Brazil, Pakistan, EU, Bolivia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, United States, Papua New Guinea, Bhutan, Nepal and Malaysia are expected to participate.
India and China has increased their forest covers. They are endeavoring to seek adequate compensation for maintaining and increasing forest cover resulting in locking of carbon in forest. (ANI)
