Why in News?
The 7th India-Japan Joint Working Group (JWG) on Forests was held in Bengaluru on 8 September 2026 to strengthen cooperation in forestry, biodiversity conservation, research and capacity building.
Key Highlights
- The Indian delegation was led by Ramesh Kumar Pandey, Additional Director General (Forests), MoEFCC, while the Japanese delegation was led by Shimizu Kotaro, Deputy Director General, Forestry Agency, Japan.
- The two sides discussed three major areas: Tree Outside Forests (TOFs), Forest Genetics and Forest Stack, covering tree-resource management, genetic conservation, forest inventory and geospatial and monitoring technologies.
- Both countries endorsed the Roadmap for 2027–2031 under the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) signed in 2015 and signed the Minutes of the 7th JWG.
- The delegations visited the Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Bengaluru and interacted with the Karnataka Forest Department.
- Field visits to sandalwood agro-forestry farms, a sandalwood depot and processing unit in Mysuru, followed by Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, were also planned to exchange knowledge on sandalwood cultivation and wildlife conservation.
India-Japan Cooperation on Forests
The India-Japan cooperation in forestry focuses on sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, forest genetics, research and capacity building. The 2015 Memorandum of Cooperation provides the framework for strengthening bilateral cooperation in the forestry sector.
