Shimla, July 3 (IANS) Former UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Erik Solheim on Friday praised Himachal Pradesh for demonstrating how climate action can be linked with economic prosperity, saying the state is creating new income opportunities for farmers while protecting the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.

In a post on X following his visit to the state, Solheim said what impressed him most was Himachal Pradesh’s determination to ensure that climate action delivers tangible benefits to its people.

He described the state’s initiatives as an example of the kind of leadership needed to address environmental challenges while improving livelihoods.

The HIM EVERGREEN Project, inaugurated this week, will support more than 150,000 smallholder farmers to adopt boundary plantations and climate-smart agricultural practices. Over the coming decades, the project has the potential to generate more than $60 million in additional income for farming communities through South Asia’s lead carbon company.

Another exciting initiative is the development of an indigenous biochar programme that will convert around 9,000 tonnes of pine needles per year into biochar, bio-oil and wood vinegar, he wrote.

Forest floors covered by pine needles are one of the major causes of devastating forest fires in the region. The project is being implemented through a partnership between local communities, the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department and ProClime. It will create high-integrity carbon credits. It’s turning a problem into an opportunity, he said.

The former UN Under-Secretary-General said he is looking forward to seeing these projects scale across India and beyond. Pine needles are blamed for most of the forest fires in Himachal Pradesh.

Records of the Forest Department say 22 per cent or 8,267 sq km of the total forest area in the state is fire-prone. A majority of the fires are reported from the pine forests during the peak summer when the trees shed pine needles that are highly inflammable due to the rich content of turpentine oil.

–IANS

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