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The existing forest area in Gujarat State is 9.75% of the total geographical area which is quite below the National average of 23.57%. Forest Coverage in the State is 7.6%. Of the forests, about 57.5% are open and scrub forests and are in degraded condition and have poor quality. Good forest areas are mostly located in south eastern hilly zone of the state. The rural poor people which are mostly tribal population depend for their livelihood on the forests. Forestry based livelihood options available in the area are limited in the state. In spite, Forest Management initiatives in Gujarat State have been always progressive and have provided leadership in National initiatives in large number of occasions. Harsh climatic conditions and inadequate financial allocation has been a problem in the forestry sector. Three major projects implemented in the past with the assistance from the World Bank and JBIC has contributed significantly for improving the condition of the forest and the forests resources but still it is needed to improve the forests cover and the productivity of the forests since demand of forest resources exceeds the supply. It is therefore, there is a need to restore degraded forests and to improve the income level of villagers by promoting sustainable forest management, including JFM plantation and community /tribal development with larger goals of environment improvement and poverty alleviation in the State of Gujarat.
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