Restoring Landscapes In India For Climate and Communities

This briefing by the World Resources Institute describes the potential for landscape restoration in India, focusing on a case study in the Sidhi District of Madhya Pradesh. It outlines national carbon sequestration goals and demonstrates how an adapted Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM) can be used to integrate environmental benefits with economic opportunities for marginalized local communities.

• India has committed to restoring 26 million hectares of land and reducing carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 2.5–3 gigatonnes by 2030 under the Paris Climate Agreement. Additionally, India became the first country to establish a national agroforestry policy in 2014.
• According to WRI India’s Restoration Opportunities Atlas, approximately 140 million hectares in India could benefit from landscape restoration and forest protection. Such efforts could sequester between 3 and 4.5 gigatons of above-ground carbon by 2040.
• In the Sidhi District of Madhya Pradesh, an assessment found that nearly 75% of the land could be restored using eight different techniques, including native tree plantations, sustainable orchards, and assisted natural regeneration. This restoration could sequester over 7 million metric tons of carbon within 10 to 20 years.
• Landscape restoration in Sidhi presents significant economic opportunities: planting 39.5 million saplings could generate 3.75 million paid working days and INR 710 million (US$10 million) in extra income for local communities over two years. Furthermore, selling saplings could provide an additional INR 592.3 million ($8.46 million USD).
• Long-term economic development in Sidhi through the processing and sale of high-value tree crops—such as moringa, jackfruit, and bamboo—could create 3,000 microenterprises and 30,000 jobs within five to seven years.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Restoring Landscapes In India For Climate and Communities. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/sidhi-restoration-brief.pdf?O6sQA6Y5TnKdxZGUJ0gUXguNfJciuQsE

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Restoring Landscapes In India For Climate and Communities. n.d. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/sidhi-restoration-brief.pdf?O6sQA6Y5TnKdxZGUJ0gUXguNfJciuQsE.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Restoring Landscapes In India For Climate and Communities |url=https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/sidhi-restoration-brief.pdf?O6sQA6Y5TnKdxZGUJ0gUXguNfJciuQsE |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendrestoring, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Restoring Landscapes In India For Climate and Communities}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/sidhi-restoration-brief.pdf?O6sQA6Y5TnKdxZGUJ0gUXguNfJciuQsE}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }