Context

One in four people in India rely directly on forests for their livelihoods.  This presents a significant opportunity: restoring degraded forest cover has the potential to revitalize the flow of essential forest products and services, drive inclusive economic growth, and improve livelihoods for millions.

Sectors

• FORESTRY
• AGROFORESTRY
• WILDLIFE
• LIVELIHOODS

Our Work

USAID is supporting India’s state forest departments to mitigate climate change, conserve biodiversity, and fortify forest-dependent communities.  Together, we are developing and implementing solutions to address forest degradation, biodiversity loss and human-wildlife conflict, while also fostering sustainable market opportunities and empowering local entrepreneurs.

Our Impact

The U.S. and India are collaborating to achieve national and global climate targets, including improving the management of 8.6 million hectares of forests, thereby sequestering 4.5 million tons of CO2 – equivalent to removing more than 1.1 million cars from the road for one year.  USAID is supporting the conservation of 2 million hectares of critical wildlife habitat, crucial for species like the tiger, with 70% of the world’s population found in India.