New Delhi: NITI Aayog recently introduced the Greening and Restoration of Wasteland with Agroforestry (GROW) report and portal. This initiative, led by NITI Aayog in collaboration with various institutions, aims to assess agroforestry suitability across India’s districts using remote sensing and GIS technology.
The report includes the development of an Agroforestry Suitability Index (ASI) to prioritise national-level projects, providing state and district-wise analysis for government departments and industries.
Covering 8.65% of India’s total geographical area, agroforestry spans approximately 28.42 million hectares. The GROW initiative focuses on converting underutilised areas, particularly wastelands, for agroforestry, aligning with India’s commitment to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 and create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Professor Ramesh Chand, a member of NITI Aayog, highlighted the importance of promoting agroforestry to reduce wood imports, sequester carbon, and optimise arable land. He emphasised the long-term benefits of the project and its potential to leverage space technology in agriculture.
The newly launched portal, accessible through Bhuvan, provides universal access to state and district-level data crucial for various government programs.
India’s National Agroforestry Policy, introduced in 2014, aims to enhance productivity, profitability, and sustainability in agriculture. This initiative aligns with global commitments such as the Paris Agreement, Bonn Challenge, UN Sustainable Development Goals, UN Convention on Combating Desertification, Doubling Farmers’ Income, and the Green India Mission.
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