Twentieth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

India aims to increase its tree cover to 95 million hectares by 2030, with a focus on tree plantations. News headlines often throw huge numbers like 2.5 lakh trees planted in a day, creating records but are these plantation drives really successful? The answer is unfortunately no, they merely remain boasted news headlines, a medium to gain traction for the politicians and to show the utilisation of funds. These plantations often fail due to poor maintenance, low survival rates, and inadequate research on suitable saplings. To address these issues, land restoration companies can provide a solution and help India achieve its targets. These companies prioritize maintenance, resulting in higher survival rates than government schemes. While developed nations have well-established land restoration companies, India faces challenges in funding these projects. Environmental and social benefits derived from land generation are not enough to secure private financing. Government and philanthropic financing are the primary revenue sources, but they come with their own challenges. To support a land restoration economy boom in India, the paper highlights the need to address implementation challenges hindering the industry’s proper functioning. The paper is based on prospective research and takes into consideration the JFM scheme introduced by the government in different states to reach the desired result. The paper concludes with efforts required to help the restoration economic boom in India.