Critical Observations on National CAMPA Bill, 2016

According to the India State of Forests Report 2015, forest cover comprises 21.34% of India's total geographical area. This is significantly less than the 33% forest and tree cover envisaged under the National Forest Policy 1988 (ref. 2). In addition to providing vital ecosystem services, these forests support the livelihoods of people in nearly 173,000 'forest fringe villages'. Industrial and developmental projects in these forest areas, such as building of dams, mining and construction of roads, may have environmental impacts, including threats to the long-term sustenance of forest cover.