National Working Plan Code: Journey of Indian Forests from 2004 to 2023

Abstract

The country's pristine forest requires consistent monitoring from a conservation and management viewpoint. Since colonial times, the importance of forests and their goods and services have been a major thrust area for decision-making bodies. To address these contemporary environmental and societal challenges, the introduction of the National Working Plan Code (NWPC) was a milestone in progressing towards sustainable forestry and forest conservation. The formal working plan code was initiated in 2004. The changing scenario of population dynamics, land use patterns, climatic variations and their impacts on forest resources made the periodic revision of the code necessary. The design of the code is based on Grid-based sampling, which offers systematic and unbiased data collection to strengthen the robustness of nation's conservation efforts. Implementing advanced technologies could enhance sustainable resource management, climate change mitigation, and community participation, including remote sensing and GIS applications, as well as artificial intelligence (AI). In this developing scenario, forest resource management needs a comprehensive forest inventory to oversee various aspects such as resource planning, environment impact assessments, inclusive forest management strategies, and informed policymaking. NWPC for forest management underwent constant revision after 2004, in the years 2014 and again in 2023 by integrating sufficient criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management. The dynamic integration of tools and techniques in forest management will ensure the three pillars of sustainability: Ecological integrity, economic development, and social welfare in a developing nation like India.