India and Japan Hold 7th Forests Working Group Meeting

The 7th Meeting of the India-Japan Joint Working Group on cooperation in the forestry sector was held in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on 8 September 2026. The Indian delegation was led by Shri Ramesh Kumar Pandey, Additional Director General (Forests) in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Japanese delegation was led by Mr. Shimizu Kotaro, Deputy Director General of the Forestry Agency under Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

India-Japan Forestry Cooperation

India and Japan have a Joint Working Group mechanism for forestry cooperation under a Memorandum of Cooperation signed in 2015. The 7th meeting covered technical collaboration in forestry and related resource management areas.

Key Technical Areas

The discussions focused on Tree Outside Forests, Forest Genetics, and Forest Stack. Tree Outside Forests refers to trees grown on farms, field boundaries, homesteads, roadsides, and other non-forest lands.

Roadmap and Institutional Engagement

Both sides endorsed the Roadmap for 2027–2031 during the meeting. The session ended with the signing of the Minutes of the 7th Joint Working Group and a visit to the Institute of Wood Science and Technology in Bengaluru.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal ministry for forest policy in India.
• The Forestry Agency functions under Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
• Tree Outside Forests is a recognised forestry concept used in agroforestry and urban tree management.
• Nagarhole Tiger Reserve is a protected area in Karnataka and forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

Field Visits in Karnataka

The bilateral programme included visits to sandalwood agro-forestry farms, a sandalwood depot, and a processing facility in Mysuru on 9 September 2026. A field trip to Nagarhole Tiger Reserve was scheduled for 10 September 2026 for exchange on wildlife conservation practices.