IDA support to the forest sector in India aims to assist with the implementation of the 1988 National Forest Policy (NFP), that treats forests first as an ecological necessity, second, as a source of goods for use by local populations and only third as a source of wood and other products for industries and other non-local users. The policy envisages that most industrial supplies will be derived from private sector farm and other forestry. IDA support addresses forest resource management in an integrated fashion, through policy and institutional reforms, participatory resource management, technology improvement and the mainstreaming of biodiversity conservation concerns into sectoral programs, both within protected areas and outside them.

Total current Bank lending for the sector amounts to about US$500 million, with approximately $300 million in the pipeline. Four state-wide forestry projects are effective, in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The Uttar Pradesh Project has been approved by the Board and will be effective early in 1998, whilst one other project in Keraia has been appraised and should go the Board before June, 1998. There is, in addition, a national forestry research project (FREEP) providing technological support to the sector through funding research, whilst preparation of a proposed National Forest Sector Project is about to start.

All the projects have a number of common objectives to be achieved through specific project components, though the emphasis given to each varies between projects:

The Bank supervises these projects on a regular six-monthly basis. There is an increasing emphasis on thematic supervision, that is, examining issues related to particular project objectives that are common to the whole portfolio of projects, and drawing together the lessons to be learnt. The most important initiative so far taken is a thematic review of participatory resource management in projects in the South Asia Region. There is a need for similar reviews of forest management practices in all Bank-supported forestry projects in India.

The consultant will:

• Participate in the supervision of World Bank assisted forestry projects in India as an integral part of World Bank supervision missions, responsible to the Mission Leader and with terms of reference as approved by the Bank;
• Examine the main silvicultural practices in use in the six states with Bank-assisted forestry projects focusing on management practices in:

• Describe the silvicultural practices in terms of:

• Compare and contrast management practices in the six states, and identify technical constraints and best practices in existing forest management;
• To the extent possible, compare forest management based on natural regeneration with programs involving significant planting and plantation establishment;
• Assess the impact of improved silvicultural practices, in particular, collect data on survival rates;
• Evaluate the adequacy of indicators and monitoring arrangements to measure the impact of forest management practices, in particular, survival surveys;
• Review the preparation of Forest Working Plans and assess their relevance to forest management in the field;
• Assess the impact of non-technical constraints on forest management including amongst others: staff skills, transfers and incentives; community skills; and timeliness of fund releases and mechanisms for payment for forest works;
• Recommend measures to overcome identified technical and administrative constraints, to extend best practices to states as appropriate, and to introduce improved monitoring;
• Prepare a report to the World Bank on each visit summarizing findings and recommendations for improved forest management, paying particular attention to issues common to all the states visited;
• Submit a copy of each report to DFID under cover of a letter highlighting points of particular interest to DFID.