Forest Survey of India

Forest Survey of India
Name	Forest Survey of India
Formed	1981
Headquarters	Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Jurisdiction	Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Forest Survey of India

The Forest Survey of India is a national agency headquartered in Dehradun under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change tasked with forest resource assessment, mapping, and reporting across India. It produces national and state-level assessments used by agencies such as the Indian Space Research Organisation, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, and the National Remote Sensing Centre to inform policy and conservation actions in regions including Assam, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Arunachal Pradesh.

History

The organization was established in 1981 following recommendations linked to the National Commission on Agriculture and deliberations similar to initiatives by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization. Early collaborations involved entities such as the Survey of India, Forest Research Institute (India), Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, and the Department of Space. The agency’s evolution parallels international efforts like the Global Forest Resources Assessment and national programs including the National Afforestation Programme and the Joint Forest Management movement. Influential figures and institutions in its formative years included leadership from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (India) and scientists affiliated with the Indian Statistical Institute and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Mandate and Functions

The statutory and operational mandate covers forest inventory, canopy cover assessment, and biometrics used by ministries and bodies like the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, National Biodiversity Authority (India), and Central Pollution Control Board. Core functions intersect with mandates of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Wildlife Institute of India, and the Biodiversity Act, 2002 implementation for habitat monitoring. The agency’s reports feed into frameworks such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change submissions and support schemes run by the Green Climate Fund and Global Environment Facility in India.

Organizational Structure

The administrative setup consists of divisions and units coordinating with centers including the Forest Research Institute (India), State Forest Departments of Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand, and nodal bodies such as the National Remote Sensing Centre. The hierarchy aligns with civil service structures influenced by the Union Public Service Commission norms and legislative oversight from committees in the Parliament of India and consultative bodies like the National Advisory Council. Technical liaison occurs with institutes such as the Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, and regional offices of the Wildlife Trust of India.

Survey Methods and Technology

Survey methodology integrates remote sensing platforms from the Indian Space Research Organisation satellites like IRS-1C and Cartosat-1, and global systems including Landsat, Sentinel-2, and datasets used by the European Space Agency. Field sampling protocols were informed by standards from the Food and Agriculture Organization and statistical approaches developed with input from the Indian Statistical Institute and researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. Technologies include LiDAR surveys comparable to projects by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, geographic information systems from Esri partnerships, and machine learning models similar to work at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata.

Key Programs and Reports

Major outputs include the biennial national assessment reports used alongside programs like the National Afforestation Programme and initiatives under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016. Reports inform conservation plans for Project Tiger, Project Elephant, and landscape initiatives involving the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel recommendations. Publications align with international reporting such as the Convention on Biological Diversity national reports and contribute data for carbon accounting relevant to REDD+ frameworks and India's Nationally Determined Contributions.

Data Products and Accessibility

Data products include state-wise forest cover maps, tree density estimates, carbon stock assessments, and thematic atlases used by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, State Forest Departments, and stakeholders like the World Wide Fund for Nature India, The Energy and Resources Institute, and Conservation International. Accessibility policies are coordinated with portals maintained by the National Remote Sensing Centre and public repositories analogous to those of the Global Forest Watch and the Open Government Data Platform India. Users range from researchers at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research to NGOs such as the Centre for Science and Environment.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The agency collaborates with national and international partners including the Indian Space Research Organisation, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, World Bank projects, and bilateral cooperation with institutions like the French National Centre for Scientific Research and the United States Agency for International Development. Academic collaborations involve the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Banaras Hindu University, and international research centers such as the Smithsonian Institution and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Category:Forestry in India Category:Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change