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CAPACTIY BUILDING TRAINING FOR OFFICERS OF ODISHA FOREST DEPARTMENT ON ESTIMATION OF FOREST CARBON STOCK UNDER REDD+ HELD BY JICA FROM 18TH TO 22ND JANUARY, 2017

With a goal to enhance the capacity of the forest officials in Odisha Forest Department and to acquaint them with the principles and procedures in the implementation of REDD Plus, a training program an implementation of REDD Plus was organised with the help of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) from 18th to 22nd of January, 2017. A total of 53 officials from Forest Department (detailed list attached as Annexure-I) attended the training programme

The forests in Odisha is managed through 50 nos. of Forest/ Wildlife Divisions and nearly 60% of total forest area is scientifically managed through implementation of Forest Working Plans. Scientifically managed forest areas in Odisha are covered under 44 Working Plans and 6 Wildlife management Plans. Due to the expiry of working plans for 37 division by March, 2017, the revision of such working plans are expeditiously under progress. Under the National Working Plan Code 2014, one of the main essential for the forest management planning include implementation of REDD Plus. Till 2013, there was no mandate for estimation of forest carbon stocks and implementation of REDD Plus and hence there is urgent need to enhance the capacity of the forest staff in Odisha Forest Department to acquaint them with the principles and procedures in the implementation of REDD Plus. With the above background, the capacity building program in the implementation of REDD Plus was organised with the help of JICA with following objectives.

  1. To estimate the total carbon stock from each forest area in total as per Good Practices Guidance developed by IPCC
  2. To estimate changes in the carbon stock based on the inventory data
  3. To highlight the research needs for future and
  4. To devise strategies to conserve carbon stocks generated by the forests.

The above training course was organised by the Office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Odisha at Gopabandhu Academy of Administration, Bhubaneswar from 18th to 22nd of January, 2017. Two subject matter experts from the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Tsukaba, Ibaraki, Japan conducted the whole course sponsored by JICA.

  1. Dr. Yasumasa Hirata, Principal Research Director on Climate change.
  2. Dr. Tamotsu Sato, Chief of Community Dynamics laboratory.

The training programme was inaugurated on 18.01.2017 at Gopabandhu Academy of Administration, Bhubaneswar by the PCCF & HOFF Odisha Sri S.S. Srivastava, IFS and Sri Sangram Keshari Mishra IAS, Director General- Cum- Addl. Chief Secretary, Gopabandhu Academy of Administration, Bhubaneswar, Dr Ajit Kumar Pattnaik, IFS, PCCF (Projects)-Cum-Project Director OFSDS, Dr. J.P. Singh IFS Addl. PCCF (P&SM) and other senior officials from Forest Department were present. Subsequently the entire training was conducted in following sessions by both the experts.

  

Photos: Training session in progress

Session 1: Progress of REDD+, impact of climate change, and present situation of climate change.
Session 2:Activities of REDD+ Research and Development Centre in FFPRI (Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute) Japan.
Session 3:Forest reference level setting.
Session 4:Object based mapping to obtained activity data.
Session 5:Verification system for classification results.
Session 6:PSP method to obtain forest carbon stock as emission factor.
Session 7: Verification of mapping and ground truth method.
Session 8:Destructive sampling to obtain allometric equation for tree biomass.
Session 9: Field survey, Ground truth method.
Session 10: Instrument treatment and establishing PSP (Permanent sampling plot).
Session 11: Field census in PSP method (Permanent sampling plot).
Session 12: Calculating forest biomass from field data.
Session 13: Calculating forest carbon stock at state level.

As a part of the training Programme, two days hands on field exercise including the Destructive sampling to obtain allometric equation for tree biomass was conducted in Silvicultural Research Garden Bhubaneswar. Dr Tamotsu Sato conducted the whole field exercise and the PCCF, Odisha Mr S.S Srivastava IFS visited the sample plots during field exercise. This training programme was useful for the participants to acquire knowledge on REDD Plus and procedures in the assessment of forest carbon stock. The use of remote sensing combined with field survey in estimating carbon stocks was also explained 

Photos: Field Exercise for the Destructive sampling conducted in Silvicultural Research Garden, Bhubaneswar

Sl Name of the Officer Name of Division/ W P O
1 Sri Sitaram Pradhan,OFS ACF & WPO, Bhubaneswar
2 Sri P.K Sethi, OFS-I(SB) DFO, Bhadrak WL
3 Sri C. R. Mishra, OFS-I(SB) DFO, Puri WL
4 Sri P.K. Mishra, OFS-I(SB) DFO, City Forest
5 Sri B.R.Dash,OFS-I(SB) DFO, Chilika WL
6 Sri B.P.Acharya,OFS-I(SB) DFO, Rajnagar WL
7 Sri Atish K.Behera,IFS WPO, Bhubaneswar
8 Ms.Nibedita Das,OFS-I(SB) FRS Division Cuttack
9 Sri D. Mishra,OFS-I(SB) DCF(WP)O/o PCCF(O)
10 Sri Shankar Shan Behera,OFS ACF,Nayagarh
11 Sri Subash Chandra Nayak RO, Bhubaneswar
12 Sri Sanjaya K. Swain, IFS DFO, Baripada
13 Sri P.K.Behera,OFS-I(SB) DFO, Karanjia
14 Sri Khushwant Singh,IFS ACF, Karanjia
15 Sri H.B.Udgata,OFS-I(SB) DFO, Balasore WL
16 Sri Jagyanandatta Pati,IFS DFO, Rairangpur
17 Sri Suresh Chandra Panda R.O.Badampahar, Rairangpur
18 Sri Sangram Keshari Nayak RO, Saintala
19 Sri K. S. Pradeep, IFS DFO, Athmallik
20 Sri Arun K.Swain,OFS-I(SB) DFO, Athgarh
21 Sri S. Patra, OFS-I(SB) DFO, Cuttack
22 Sri S.K.Satapathy,OFS-I(SB) WPO Angul
23 Sri Maheswar Patnaik,OFS ACF, Dhenkanal
24 Girish Ch. Adhikari RO, O/o. RCCF, Angul
25 Sri Sashi Paul,IFS RCCF, Berhampur
26 Sri R.K.Singh,OFS-I(SB) DFO, Parlakhemundi
27 Sri P.Ramsamy,IFS DFO, Ghumsur (N)
28 Sri Ramapad Arabinda Mishra R.O., Bhanjanagar
29 Sri Prakash C.Gogineni,IFS DFO, Phulbani
30 Sri P.Arthanari,IFS DFO, Koraput
31 Sri P.Sanjeeva Reddy,IFS DFO, Rayagada
32 Sri Aswini Kar,OFS-I(SB) DFO, Jeypore
33 Sri Samrata Gouda DS,IFS DFO, Malkangiri
34 Gouri Prasad Rath R.O. Koraput
35 Sri S.S.Khora,IFS DFO, Bonai
36 Sri Jagdish Prasad Singh,OFS ACF, Bonai
37 Sri Salvinder Singh R.O. Banki, Sundergarh
38 Sri Manoranjan Mishra,OFS ACF, Keonjhar
39 Sri S.K.Behera,IFS DFO, Keonjhar(WL)
40 Sri Anadi Ch.Das,OFS-II WPO, Keonjhar
41 Sri Mihir Ranjan Pattanaik R.O.Anandapur(WL)
42 Sri D.Behera,OFS-I(SB) DFO, Subarnapur
43 Sri R.R.Nayak,OFS-I(SB) DFO, Bolangir
44 Sri V.Neelannavar,IFS DFO, Kalahandi(South)
45 Sri S.C.Panda,OFS-I(SB) DFO, Khariar
46 Sri D.Kampa,OFS-I(SB) WPO, Kalahandi
47 Sri L.K.Tewari,IFS RCCF, Sambalpur
48 Sri Sushant Kumar,IFS ACF, Rairakhol
49 Sri Abhiram Naik,IFS CF & WPO, Sambalpur
50 Sri Laxman Mardi,OFS ACF, Sambalpur
51 Ms. Rebati Raman Joshi R.O. Baragarh
52 Sri S. Behera,OFS-I(SB) Dy.Project Director, OFSDP
53 Sri M.Subrat Achary GIS Technician, OFSDP

Visit of Dr. Yasumasa Hirata and Dr Tamotsu Sato from FFPRI to the Geomatics Centre, OFSDS at Ghatikia, Bhubaneswar.

Both the Scientists visited the Geomatics Centre at OFSDS on 19.01.2017. The acquisition of data on GIS and MIS and Remote sensing Analysis towards Canopy cover Change Analysis over the assigned forest and treatment areas of all the VSSs under Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project (OFSDP) was explained by the GIS and MIS Technicians. The team had detailed discussion with the Project Director Dr Ajit Kumar Patnaik on issues of sustainable Forest management and related issues of major drivers of forest degradation. They expressed their great satisfaction on the infrastructure developed during Phase-I, OFSDP. They mentioned that this would be of great help in carbon stock assessment exercise.

Visit of Dr Tamotsu Sato from FFPRI to Phulbani Forest Division from 24th - 25th January 2017.

Dr Tamotsu Sato accompanied by Sri Amya Ranjan Parida, Dy Project Director (LLI) OFSDP arrived at Phulbani on the evening of 24.01.17 and on the next day visited two VSS forest sites under implementation of OFSDP. The purpose of the visit was to have a preliminary assessment of the suitability of the OFSDP VSS forests that have regenerated for inclusion and under REDD+ mechanism and the requirements thereof. Two VSSs visited are

1. Raikhol VSS of Tikabali Range and
2. Sitagudri VSS of Phulbani Range.

In Raikhol VSS of Tikabali range, he traversed along the plantation and ANR treatment areas inside the assigned forest area of the VSS along with the VSS members. The economic plantation of 5 ha (in 2010) with teak was found to have average height of about 12 feet and protected well. The cleaning operation was done by VSS in 2016 also after the completion of project voluntary contribution of labour. The villagers during interaction made it clear that the previous practice of shifting cultivation is completely stopped now; the fire wood collection is being made more judiciously by the villagers with first preference to dead or fallen wood and removal of dry branches. The LBCD structures as SMC measures are seen to have completely filled with silt. As per the latest satellite data analysis, it showed change of cover from Very Dense to Moderate category, though the field analysis showed no such differences. Dr Sato was of the opinion that in small areas  there could be sample bias in analysis of satellite data.


He visieted the Sitagudri VSS of Phulbani Range and went around the plantation and ANR treatment areas acompanied by VSS members. The 10ha economic plantation done in 2011 with teak the girth and height measurement of some of the prominent plants at random. The average GBH on for the measured trees worked out to be 33.5cm and the average height is 15 feet. In the area under ANR treatment, the regenerated area was studied for species composition. The area was dominated by Shorea robusta (60%), followed by Pterocarpus marsupium (20%). The trees of Pterocarpus marsupium were quite matured and were protected by the community even before the project intervention. However, due to the project intervention other species such as Shorea robusta, Embelica officinalis, Diospyros melanoxylon, Terminalia tomentosa, Terminalia bellerica etc have grown to pole size crop in fairly good density such that the over head cover is 60% closed. The meeting with the villagers had similar responses and the tour ended with thanks to the VSS members.