FAO team led by India Representative, Mr. Tomio Shichiri visited the State of Uttarakhand on July 12-13, 2021 and met with the Hon’ble Minister for Watershed and Tourism in the State, Shri. Satpal Maharaj to discuss the FAO Green-Ag project. Shri. Satpal Maharaj and key Government officials expressed their continued support towards project implementation.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded Green-Ag project in the Corbett-Rajaji Landscape of Uttarakhand was formally inaugurated by Shri. Satpal Maharaj on June 15, 2021. The project is being implemented in Pauri Garhwal district including the corridors of the Corbett and the Rajaji Tiger Reserves. The project landscape covers 324 696 ha and is a major corridor for wildlife, particularly, the endangered Asiatic Elephant (Elephas maximus) and the Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris).

During their visit, the FAO team also interacted with the State Project Director, Smt. Neena Grewal and organized an orientation session for the newly inducted staff of State Project Management Unit (SPMU) and Green Landscape Implementation Unit (GLIU). The discussions over the two days were productive in orienting the project staff to FAO’s landscape approach and methodology. Additionally, the FAO Team also assessed project progress and discussed the Risk Management Strategy.

The project “Green-Ag: Transforming Indian Agriculture for Global Environmental Benefits and the Conservation of Critical Biodiversity and Forest Landscapes", is being implemented by FAO in collaboration with Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare (DAC&FW), and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India. It aims to catalyse transformative change of India’s agricultural sector to support achievement of National and Global Environmental Benefits (GEBs) and conservation of critical biodiversity and forest landscapes.