India's Ambitious Plan to Restore 25 Million Hectares of Degraded Forests by 2030

As of November 2025, India is navigating the dual imperatives of economic growth and sustainable development, with forests once again taking center stage in the national climate conversation. The recent release of the revised blueprint for the Green India Mission (GIM) puts restoration at the forefront, with the bold ambition of restoring 25 million hectares of degraded forest and non-forest land by 2030.

This restoration effort is not just about greening land for its own sake, but rather a direct response to India's climate pledge to create an additional carbon sink of up to 3.39 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by the end of this decade. However, the key challenge lies in how India goes about restoring these forests, as a recent study has revealed a 12% decline in the photosynthetic efficiency of dense forests across the country due to rising temperatures and drying soil.

To address this, the revised GIM is expanding its focus to include biodiversity-rich landscapes like the Aravalli Hills, Western Ghats, mangroves, and Himalayan catchments, while also aiming to link its efforts with other government programs. The mission is also emphasizing the use of native, site-specific species over monocultures, a shift that could enhance the ecological resilience of these restored forests.