Louis Verchot, Director of CIFOR’s Forests and Environment Program, outlines the history of CIFOR's work in India and the opportunities the country offers as an entry point into a new research programme for South Asia.

1. CIFOR in India and South Asia
Presented by Louis Verchot, Director, Forests & Environment Research
16 April 2013

2. CIFOR in India
 CIFOR has worked off and on in
India over the past 15 years
 47 publications on India since
1997
 Forest management
 Plantations
 Tenure
 Livelihoods
 Carbon
 Degraded land rehabilitation
 Drivers of deforestation
 Governance and rights

3. CIFOR in India
We have worked on questions of sustainable fuelwood provision
D. Pandey, 2002

4. Rehabilitation of degraded lands through re‐establishment
of forests
•Carbon stocks
•Water infiltration
•Fodder value
•Erosion control
•Soil fertility

5. According to FAO – large number of
forest dependent people in the region
Nation Forest dependent
people
People living on
public forest land
India 275 100
Nepal 18 8.5
Sri Lanka 2-4 ?

6. CIFOR in South Asia: Opportunity for Impact
 National Mission for a “Green India”: Goals include the afforestation
of 6 million hectares of degraded forest lands and expanding forest
cover from 23% to 33% of India’s territory.
 National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem: The plan
aims to conserve biodiversity, forest cover, and other ecological
values in the Himalayan region, which will be impacted by climate
change.

7. CIFOR in South Asia: Opportunity for Impact
 National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change: To gain
a better understanding of climate science, impacts and challenges,
the plan envisions a new Climate Science Research Fund, improved
climate modeling, and increased international collaboration. It also
encourages private sector initiatives to develop adaptation and
mitigation technologies through venture capital funds.

8. Western Ghats
 Biodiversity ‘hotspot’ – home to many plant and animal species
unique to India
 Broad range of eco-system services flowing to communities
 Water supply to approx. 245 million people in India, dependent on
rivers originating in W. Ghats to sustain their livelihoods
 Influence on Indian monsoon weather pattern

10. Himalayas
 Himalayan forest ecosystems range across eight countries including
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan
 Its river systems (Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra) are the source of
drinking water, irrigation and hydroelectric power for over 1.5 billion
people
 Research opportunity: forest degradation across the Himalayas and
impact on communities

11. A generalized NRM research to impact theory of change
 We work with partners to identify knowledge gaps that require the support of
an international research effort
• Assess the baseline situation – knowledge, actors, interests, coalitions
• Determine what needs to change and the obstacles to change
• Determine how research can help support change
 We work with partners to set priorities for knowledge generation
• Determine the desired state of society to which the research will ultimately contribute
• Determine indicators of progress toward impact (outcomes)
• Determine the research products that are needed to produce the outcomes
• Plan activities with partners to produce the outputs
 We implement research with partners and produce knowledge products
• Conduct field and lab work and collect data
• Analyze data and generate research reports to the scientific community that is
validated by the peer review process
• Produce research products for actors and stakeholders outside the scientific
community
 We disseminate knowledge through different forums to facilitate informed
decision making. More informed decisions or improved practices will lead to
benefits for affected people.

12. A specific theory of change from
CIFOR work on REDD+
If we are successful in providing appropriate knowledge
information, analysis and tools to policy makers and
practitioners, the implementation of REDD+ will produce:
• Real GHG emission reductions (effective)
• Cost-effective programs (efficient)
• Distribution of costs and benefits (equitable)
• Co-benefits
- Poverty reduction
- Biodiversity and ecosystem integrity
- Enhancement of non-carbon ecosystem services
- Improvements of local livelihoods
- Rights and tenure

13. India: Livelihoods and Governance
 Joint forest management model
 Transfer of power to communities
 Forest Rights Act 2006

14. India: Knowledge
sharing
Collaborative partnerships:
 Expertise of Indian scientists
 Abundance of existing institutions
in India working on sustainable
forestry management for
development

15. Visit us at CIFOR.ORG