Forests provide ecological, economic, social, and aesthetic benefits. India is second only to Brazil in forest loss resulting from deforestation (1). To compensate for this loss, the Indian government supports and funds large-scale tree-planting initiatives and has implemented market-based credit programs. However, planting trees cannot replicate the benefits of natural forests, and market-based approaches have shown limited success (2). India should focus on protecting rather than recreating forests.
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