Noted agricultural scientist and Rajya Sabha MP MS Swaminathan lamented the fact that political commitment for forest conservation as shown by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is lacking today.

He stressed on the need for the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education to conduct focused research on coastal mangroves, hills and dry zones of the country.

He said this while speaking at the inauguration of the first Indian Forest Congress organised by the ICFRE and ministry of Environment and Forests in New Delhi. The Minister of Environment and Forests, Jayanthi Natarajan, in her inaugural address called for more scientific analysis of the issues relating to forest management in the country, in the midst of increasing pressure on the forests and the threat of climate change.

She stressed on the need for developing reliable data at the State level on forest biomass, increment, non-timber forest products and eco-tourism. There is need for strengthening the forest bureaucracy in order to improve the efficacy of efforts needed to tackle the various challenges in the sector, she added.

The DG of Forests and special secretary to Government of India, PJ Dilip Kumar stressed on the need for empowering and capacity building of the Joint Forest Management Committees. The Country Director of UNDP-India Caitlin Wiesen stated that UNDP is supporting the efforts being undertaken for mainstreaming the biodiversity conservation and forest based livelihoods.

She welcomed the theme areas selected for the Congress and pledged support of UNDP to ICFRE.