Restoring Landscapes In India For Climate and Communities

The document highlights India's commitment to restore 26 million hectares of land by 2030 to sequester carbon and support livelihoods. Using the Sidhi District in Madhya Pradesh as a case study, it demonstrates that restoring nearly 75% of the district's land could sequester over 7 million metric tons of carbon and generate significant short-term income and long-term employment for marginalized groups through nature-based solutions.

• India has committed under the Paris Climate Agreement to restore 26 million hectares of land and reduce carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 2.5–3 gigatonnes by 2030. Additionally, India became the first nation to implement a national agroforestry policy in 2014.
• WRI India's Restoration Opportunities Atlas indicates that approximately 140 million hectares in India are suitable for landscape restoration and forest protection, which 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 is eligible for restoration using eight specific techniques, including native tree plantations, sustainable orchards, and assisted natural regeneration. Such efforts could sequester more than 7 million metric tons of carbon over a 10–20 year period.
• Landscape restoration in Sidhi presents significant economic opportunities: planting 39.5 million saplings could create 3.75 million paid working days, generating INR 710 million (US$10 million) in extra income over two years, plus an additional INR 592.3 million (US$8.46 million) from sapling sales. Long-term, the processing of high-value crops like moringa, jackfruit, and bamboo could create 30,000 jobs and 3,000 microenterprises 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} }