Team Blitz India
Greening and Restoration of Wasteland with Agroforestry (GROW) report and portal was launched last week by Prof Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog in New Delhi. This multi-institutional effort led by NITI Aayog utilised remote sensing and GIS to assess agroforestry suitability across all districts in India. Using thematic datasets, an Agroforestry Suitability Index (ASI) was developed for national-level prioritisation. The report provides state-wise and districtwise analysis, supporting government departments and industries for greening and restoration projects.
The “Greening and Restoration of Wasteland with Agroforestry (GROW)- Suitability Mapping” portal allows universal access to state and districtlevel data. Agroforestry covers 8.65 per cent of India’s total geographical area, totalling about 28.42 million hectares. The report underscores the potential benefits of converting underutilised areas, especially wastelands, for agroforestry.
The GROW initiative aligns with national commitments, aiming 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.
Prof Chand shared that there is need for promotion of agroforestry especially for three things, i.e., reducing import of wood and wood products, carbon sequestration to combat climate change at global and national level and addressing sub-optimal use of arable land. It was shared that fallow land and culturable wastelands can be converted to productive use through agroforestry. He told that this project will reap long term benefits and promote use of space technology in agriculture.
