Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment Mian Altaf Ahmad on Saturday advocated a shift in approach from traditional forestry to pro-people forestry, considering the growing requirements of timber, fodder and fuel wood.

Addressing officers of the Forest and Allied Departments, faculty members and students at a function organised by the Social Forestry Department to mark the 60th vanmahotsava at Government Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry College, RS Pura, Altaf said the Forest Department had a significant role to play in view of the environmental threats that the world was facing today like climate change and global warming. On the one hand the department had to meet the national objective of having 33 per cent of total area under forest cover, on the other it had to meet the growing demands of timber, fuelwood and fodder.