Syllabus: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
About CAMPA
- Statutory body established at centre and states/UTs under Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act, 2016.
- Aims: manage and oversee funds collected for compensatory afforestation when forest land diverted for non-forest purposes.
Background
- Supreme Court established CAMPA (2002) through T.N. Godavarman vs Union of India (1995) case monitoring compensatory afforestation.
- Created as ad-hoc National Advisory Council due to unutilized afforestation funds and inconsistent fund management by states.
Legal Framework
- Forest Conservation Act, 1980
- When forest land diverted, user agency must provide alternative non-forest land for afforestation ensuring ecological balance.
- Must bear all costs associated with afforestation process; if suitable land unavailable, undertake afforestation on twice area of degraded forest.
- CAF Act, 2016
- Came into force 2018; CAF Rules, 2018 institutionalized management of afforestation funds ensuring systematic approach.
- National CAF (NCAF) managed under Public Account of India by National CAMPA (MoEFCC) for central oversight.
- State CAF (SCAF) managed under Public Accounts of States/UTs by State CAMPA Authorities ensuring decentralized implementation.
- Both funds interest-bearing and non-lapsable ensuring sustainability and continuous availability for afforestation activities.
- Fund Management
- 90% CAMPA funds allocated to States/UTs for afforestation; 10% retained by Centre for oversight and capacity-building.
- Funds accrue annual interest as determined by Central Government; CAG annually audits both National and State CAMPA.
- Permissible Activities
- Support afforestation (compensatory, additional, penal), catchment treatment, natural regeneration for ecological restoration comprehensively.
- Aid forest and wildlife management, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, village relocation from protected areas ensuring conservation.
- Support capacity building, infrastructure development for forest and wildlife protection strengthening conservation efforts nationwide.
Key Challenges
- Land Availability
- CAF Act mandates afforestation land be adjacent and contiguous to diverted forest for better management.
- Suitable non-forest land often unavailable especially in smaller states and heavily forested regions like Chhattisgarh.
- Land provided frequently unsuitable for plantations and unfit for other productive uses limiting effectiveness significantly.
- Fund Utilization
- CAMPA funds (especially pre-2016) remained largely underutilized until serious implementation began post CAF Act enactment.
- Diversion to other schemes like Green India Mission has diluted focus on compensatory afforestation activities.
- Ecological Issues
- Monoculture plantations under CAMPA reduce biodiversity, face biotic pressure, disrupt ecological corridors, cause edge effects.
- Edge effects (ecological disruptions at habitat boundaries) weakening overall ecosystem integrity significantly undermining conservation goals.
- Rights Violations
- Experts warn of greenwashing: compensatory afforestation replaces rich forests with commercial plantations lacking ecosystem services.
- Unilateral fund control by forest officials sidelines tribals and forest dwellers violating Forest Rights Act, 2006.
- Policy Gaps
- Delays in plan submissions, fund release, lack of dedicated CAMPA offices hinder implementation causing operational inefficiencies.
- Parliamentary Committee flagged CAF Act’s bureaucratic nature and absence of timelines for implementation activities.
- IPCC 2023 report warned replacing natural forests with afforestation elsewhere leads to net ecological loss weakening climate/biodiversity goals.
Measures to Strengthen CAMPA
- Land Bank
- Create central land bank of non-forest/degraded forest lands near existing forests enhancing ecological connectivity, reducing edge effects.
- Transparency
- Ensure timely fund release, adhere to annual plans with clear timelines; strengthen audits, mandate third-party monitoring and public disclosure.
- Community Approach
- Shift from monocultures to native, multi-species plantations enhancing biodiversity and preventing greenwashing effectively.
- Involve tribals and forest dwellers as per Forest Rights Act, 2006 ensuring socio-ecological justice and community participation.Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)
- Legal Reforms
- Amend CAF Act: set time-bound afforestation targets, mandate ecological equivalence, enforce penalties for violations.
- Link forest clearances to ecosystem service restoration, not just land area; align CAMPA with IPCC guidelines, India’s NDCs, Paris Agreement.
Q- What is compensatory afforestation? Examine its effectiveness in achieving ecological balance and suggest measures for improving its implementation in India. (10 Marks)