Lok Sabha Question No. 2302 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-04
Subject: Eco-system Services
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2302**

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2015

**Eco-system Services**

2302.	 SHRI VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

1. whether the ecosystem services provided by forests are of critical importance to the well being of the nation particularly tribals;
2. if so, the specific steps being taken by the Government to augment production of ecosystem services from the forests; and
3. the estimated quantitative increase in different ecosystem services over the next five years as a result of those steps?

**ANSWER**

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST

(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

| (a)   | Yes, Sir.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
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| (b)   | The Government of India has taken various steps to improve and increase the forest and tree cover, which will contribute to enhanced production of ecosystem services from forests. These include schemes such as National Afforestation Programme, National Mission for Green India, Intensification of Forest Management and Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat etc., in addition to the   schemes and programmes of the States/Union Territories, creation of network of Protected Areas, adoption of community based practices such as Joint Forest Management/Van Panchayats, awareness campaigns, capacity building of stakeholders etc. |
| (c)   | Most of the Ecosystem services cannot be given a monetary connotation. No such assessment studies regarding quantitative increase in different ecosystem services over the next five years as a result of these steps has been made by the Ministry. The Government of India has launched TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) India Initiative to assess the trends of ecosystem services in forests, wetlands and coastal and marine ecosystems.                                                                                                                                                                                      |

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