Connecting Policy and Finance for Landscape Restoration in Gujarat under RECAP4NDC

India has made significant international commitments to combat climate change and land degradation under agreements UNFCCC and UNCCD. A key national goal is to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) by restoring 26 million hectares by 2030, a commitment that directly supports India's Nationally Determined Contribution goal of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through increased forest and tree cover by 2030.

Projects such as 'Restore, Conserve and Protect Forest and Tree Cover for NDC Implementation in India (RECAP4NDC)' can become catalysts to further strengthen and contribute towards these commitments. This project is an Indo-German bilateral technical cooperation project, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and implemented by a powerful consortium led by GIZ, alongside IUCN, TERI, FSI, ICFRE, and ICIMOD.

The project is an example that deconstructs the meaning of commitments made at international forums to tackle the impacts of climate change and achieve land degradation neutrality. Its mission is to support India in achieving its restoration targets, thereby improving the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities and farmers. The project is being implemented in key states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi-NCR, and Uttarakhand. In Gujarat it focuses on the unique challenges of the region's diverse landscapes—such as the Aravalli mountain ranges, grasslands, mangroves, and mudflats—and addresses specific pressures like coastal degradation and grazing. In Gujarat, the project is actively engaged in the Bhavnagar, Sabarkantha, and Banaskantha districts.

This workshop is being organized by the RECAP4NDC project in partnership with AIPRIS to:

• Understand India’s international commitments on climate and land (UNFCCC, UNCCD) are being translated into action through the RECAP4NDC project.
• Introduce the RECAP4NDC project's goals, strategies, and ongoing activities in Gujarat to a multi-disciplinary academic audience.
• Identify concrete opportunities for collaboration between the project and MSU faculty and students in areas like policy research, scientific assessment, and socio-economic impact studies.
• Build a network of academic experts and future professionals who can contribute to the knowledge base required for successful Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) in Gujarat.
• Identify opportunities to finance restoration from various sources like CSR, Public Finance, Public Private Partnerships, Convergence, Carbon Finance, etc.
• Explore livelihood and capacity development opportunities for the tribal and forest dependent communities.