Environmental expert urges policy overhaul as forest and water resources face critical decline

By A Representative 

On the occasion of World Forest Day and World Water Day, observed on March 21 and 22, environmental voices from the Western Ghats have issued a stark warning to the Union government, calling for an urgent paradigm shift in how India manages its interconnected natural resources. In a formal communication addressed to Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Sri C R Patil, and Union Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Sri Bhupendra Yadav, policy analyst Shankar Sharma has highlighted a growing disconnect between sectoral policies and the holistic reality of resource governance.

The appeal, sent from Sagara in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats, underscores that despite national commitments, forests and water resources continue to be treated in isolation. Citing recent media analyses, Sharma notes that while India marks World Forest Day with conversations centered on conservation and tree cover, the larger question of governance remains unaddressed. Forests, which regulate water systems, recharge groundwater, stabilize soils, and sustain agriculture, are often managed separately from decisions on mining, infrastructure, and energy, leading to unsustainable outcomes.

Data presented by the analyst paints a concerning picture. Natural forest cover stands at only about 21 percent of the country’s geographical area, far short of the 33 percent target set by the National Forest Policy. Simultaneously, India faces acute water stress, holding just 4 percent of the world’s freshwater resources while supporting nearly 18 percent of the global population and livestock. Sharma warns that both resources are degrading rapidly, posing serious threats to the nation’s survival unless a more integrated approach is adopted.

The critique draws on a 2023 review by researchers from the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, and the International Water Management Institute, which found that over forty government programs across water, energy, agriculture, and ecosystems are designed in silos. This fragmentation, the review notes, creates unintended consequences, making resource use inefficient and unsustainable. Sharma argues that this sectoral disconnect is starkly evident in the ongoing diversion of thick, natural forest lands—including those within legally protected areas—for developmental projects, often without due diligence or full compliance with existing laws and policies.

The analysis cites multiple media reports to illustrate the scale of environmental degradation. Primary forest loss in India between 2014 and 2019 exceeded 120,000 hectares—a 36 percent increase over the previous five-year period. Between June 2014 and May 2018, over 500 projects within protected areas and eco-sensitive zones were cleared by the National Board for Wildlife, with an approval rate of approximately 95 percent. Additionally, the State of Forest Report 2023 revealed that the Western Ghats—a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot—lost 58.22 square kilometers of forest cover in the last decade.

Sharma expresses particular concern over the prolonged environmental clearance process for projects that threaten critical ecosystems. He cites a specific example of a proposed 2,000 MW pumped storage project in Karnataka, which seeks to clear approximately 400 acres of dense, natural rainforest within a wildlife sanctuary. Critics argue that even highly unsubstantiated projects continue to consume significant regulatory resources, reflecting a deeper failure in environmental governance.

While acknowledging recent statements by Union Minister C R Patil that dams are no longer a viable long-term solution for water security, Sharma urges a similarly definitive stance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He proposes that, in the spirit of World Forest Day, the Union government should declare a moratorium on forest land diversion from legally protected areas until the national forest and tree cover reaches the 33 percent target outlined in the National Forest Policy.

Shankar Sharma, a Power & Climate Policy Analyst based in Sagara, concluded that the roles of the Union Ministers for Jal Shakti and for Forest, Environment and Climate Change are critical to steering the country toward a sustainable path in resource governance, emphasizing the urgent need for diligent rethinking in forest management. Two discussion papers on the associated issues were enclosed for the ministers’ perusal.