Restore, Conserve and Protect Forest and Tree Cover for NDC Implementation in India

Owing to socio-economic pressures, 43 percent of Indian forests are degraded. With 140 million hectars, the forest restoration potential is enormous. India is aiming at a national target for forest and tree cover of 33 percent, besides ambitious Bonn Challenge and NDC goals. Coordinated efforts of forest departments together with other line departments and institutions, decision-makers, local communities, and other stakeholders will support the translation of policy goals into action. In four states, the project supports key actors to effectively plan, finance, implement and monitor Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) and Trees Outside Forests (TOF) measures. By 2029, it aims to restore 0.4 million hectars of forest landscape. 10 million people will benefit from improved forest ecosystem services.

Project data

Countries: India
IKI funding: 17,500,000.00 €
Duration: 05/2022 till 04/2029
Status: open
Implementing organisation: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Political Partner: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) - India
Implementing Partner: Forest Survey of India

Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education

International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) - Nepal

International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) - India

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) - India

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State of implementation/results

The RECAP4NDC state launch events took place in Gujarat (7 Nov 2023), Maharashtra (11 Jan 2024), and Uttarakhand (23 Feb 2024), with the participation of high-level state government officials (Ministers, Secretaries, and Heads of Forest Forces), consortium members, research institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and line departments.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC), together with RECAP4NDC, inaugurated the project’s National Steering Committee. Its second session was held at the Ministry’s premises in Delhi on 31 Jan 2025, chaired by Shri Anjan Kumar Mohanty, Additional Director General of Forests and Mission Director Green India Mission, with participation from all consortium members, BMUV (Division N III 3), ZUG, the German Embassy in Delhi (Division for Environment), State Forest Departments, and representatives from other line ministries.
RECAP4NDC participated in the first meeting of the Gandhinagar Implementation Roadmap (GIR) and the Gandhinagar Information Platform (GIP) on 8 Jan 2024 and has offered to play an advisory role in both initiatives.
The intervention landscapes for planning, implementation, and monitoring of restoration measures, as well as capacity-building activities, have been selected across all project states. These landscapes cover a total of 213,001 hectares in 23 districts: Maharashtra (112,886 ha), Gujarat (40,302 ha), Delhi NCR (29,567 ha), and Uttarakhand (30,246 ha). These areas have been endorsed by the respective State Forest Departments (SFD) through Executive Committee meetings.
Stakeholder orientation workshops were held in selected landscapes in Uttarakhand (19 & 21 Nov 2024) and Maharashtra (Jan–Feb 2025) to present the landscape selection process, provide guidance to field forestry staff, and ensure active community participation in restoration efforts.
Training Needs Assessments (TNA) for forest officials, line departments, and communities in selected landscapes have been completed in all four states. Various topics on Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) and sustainable forest management were identified, along with preferred training formats and course durations. Over 35% of TNA participants from frontline forest staff and officers were women, ensuring their perspectives are reflected in the design and delivery of training.
The legal and policy review identifying entry points for integrating FLR into policy planning processes was completed and presented to the SFDs in Jan 2025.
RECAP4NDC launched its LinkedIn page in Feb 2024 to regularly share updates on events, publications, and relevant information for FLR professionals and practitioners. The LinkedIn feed features series such as VanKaVardaan ("Blessings of Forest" – showcasing native tree species in selected landscapes), UnJargon (explaining technical concepts in accessible language), and state-level stories on conservation champions, FLR measures, and innovative approaches.
Additionally, RECAP4NDC has published its second newsletter, covering selected landscapes, TNA findings, the legal and policy review, and stakeholder consultations. The newsletter is available via the project’s LinkedIn feed and the websites of GIZ and IKI India.

Latest Update:
04/2025