"वृक्षायन"- Towards "Green & Sustainable" Development.

The two carbons Carbon trading i nvolving forests is based on the premise that carbon is carbon, and that the carbon released from deforestation is the same as the carbon released from burning fossil fuels. This is simply not true. The carbon released through the use of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) has not been part of the functioning of the biosphere for millions of years. Once fossil fuels are extracted and burnt, that carbon – which until then had been safely stored underground – is released, thereby increasing the aboveground carbon stock. Once released, that carbon cannot be returned to its original storage place and the more is extracted, the more the total amount of carbon in the biosphere is increased. The release of carbon resulting from deforestation is a totally different matter. This carbon is part of the normal functioning of the biosphere and therefore, though deforestation increases the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere – thereby contributing ...

Vrukshyan Program The urban areas of the country are facing problems of deterioration of environmental and socio-economic conditions. The major concerns are unplanned and haphazard development, poor sanitary and living conditions, urbanization and associated problems including slums, poor/inadequate infrastructure and pollution problems. While there are several causes for urban degradation such as population migration, environmental considerations not adequately being incorporated into plans (Master Plans), uncoordinated and haphazard development, weak implementation of plans and laws and inadequate institutional competences, one of the major concerns is resource crunch. The Government (municipality, local bodies etc.) is not keen for allocating adequate funds to deal with the needed infrastructure facilities, significantly since they do not have mechanisms for recovery of investments and to make the services or infrastructure provided sustainable. However, today there are several mech...