Afforestation

Afforestation is the reverse land-use change to deforestation: planting trees on land that carried no previous tree cover, converting non-forested land into forest by establishing suitable species. A common application is afforesting the slopes around dams specifically to cut water run-off, soil erosion and reservoir siltation, alongside wider environmental services such as carbon sequestration and improved water retention in the planted area. Its stated objectives include raising forest cover and oxygen production/air quality, rehabilitating degraded forest land to increase carbon fixation and cut atmospheric CO2, establishing bamboo and mixed plantations of minor forest produce and medicinal plants, regenerating indigenous herbs and shrubs, raising groundwater availability while reducing nitrogen leaching and contamination of drinking water, and supporting nature-aided artificial regeneration alongside ongoing monitoring and awareness work. Where these objectives are pursued seriously, the achievements recorded include restored degraded forests, community water assets such as overhead tanks, bore-wells, hand pumps, community h …