Exploring the nexus between Indian forestry and the Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

Forests are considered as a sacred asset in India and have guided the way of living throughout its history. Indian forests not only accommodate the myriad species but also act as a survival support system to the communities that depended on them. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development proposed by the United Nations (UN) has gained momentum and becomes an integral part of the recent efforts of Indian governance. In this investigation, we examined the potential nexus between Indian forestry system (biodiversity-enriched assets, ecosystem services, constitutional mechanisms, and governances) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through theoretical underpinnings from literature that selected from database like Google Scholar, Indian forest survey reports, and information retrieved from Indian government websites. The significance of this review is that it presents comprehensive information about Indian forestry, biodiversity-rich assets, and sustainable forest management practices. The results show that Indian forestry as a whole is an integral part of the food-energy-water cycle and contributes to all dimensions of sustainable development, i.e., economic sustainability, social sustainability, and environmental sustainability. The investigation confirms that besides partly contributing to the economy and life support systems to many dependent species, forests also act as boosters in the areas of food security and health. Targets related to the climate action, peace, and partnership goals are well in place through various forestry interventions and environmental commitments by the Government of India.