Pitfalls of India’s restoration initiatives

The current decline of biodiversity is a pressing global issue. Restoration, widely accepted as a natural climate solution, is an effective measure to combat this loss. However, restoration practices vary among countries; developing countries like India rarely produce positive restoration outcomes. There are many pitfalls in India's restoration efforts. Most of the restoration programs in the country are "just planting trees." The majority of the tree-planting programs in the country were questioned due to their unscientific approach and negative impacts. Most restoration initiatives focus more on planting a certain number of trees than on how many will survive over time or, more crucially, if the intended benefits will be realized. They look for short-term results rather than long-term goals. Postrestoration studies and results are unavailable for most projects in the country. Restoration initiatives in many Indian states were criticized for generating negative impacts. Large-scale restoration initiatives divert the funding for conservation, so protecting existing biodiversity should be the priority.