Today’s forestry needs more young professionals to achieve ‘green’ governance

In an era where climate change is no longer a distant threat but a reality that we all have to accept, the role of forests in environmental stability is being acknowledged like never before. Yet, amidst this urgency, the forestry sector continues to face a serious gap — dearth of young professionals, who can bring innovation, energy, and long-term commitment to forest conservation and management.

For a state like Telangana, where green initiatives like Haritha Haram have gained momentum, the active involvement of youth is critical to ensure the sustainability of such efforts.

Forests are not merely tree-covered lands — they are complex ecosystems that regulate climate, protect biodiversity, and support livelihoods.

Unfortunately, the forestry sector has to reckon with innumerable challenges in today’s world, including illegal logging, forest fires, habitat fragmentation, and the pressures of infrastructure development. These problems, many of them stemming from human greed, demand fresh perspectives and new-age solutions. This is precisely where enthusiastic young go getters can come in handy.

Across India, forestry is still seen by many as a traditional, government-dominated domain. This perception needs to change. With advancements in remote sensing, GIS, carbon trading, and community-based forest management, forestry has evolved into a dynamic interdisciplinary field. Young graduates, researchers, and entrepreneurs have the potential to turn these changes into real-world impact.

In Telangana, over 24 per cent of the geographical area is under forest cover, according to the Forest Survey of India. The fact of the matter is that despite efforts like the Telangana Ku Haritha Haram (TKHH), the long-term success of such campaigns depends on consistent maintenance, monitoring, and involvement from future generations.

Young forestry graduates and students should be encouraged to participate as digital innovators, researchers, and grassroots activists. Furthermore, the role of youth should not be limited to technical input. There is a pressing need for young professionals who can work with forest-dependent communities — especially tribal populations — to create sustainable livelihood models based on non-timber forest produce (NTFP), eco-tourism, and agroforestry. This requires not only technical forestry knowledge but also skills in social engagement, policy-making, and economics — areas where the next generation can truly excel. State services, too, must recognise and promote domain specialists in forestry, not just go in for generalists in recruitment.

One of the most overlooked aspects, and the bane of forest governance, today is the underrepresentation of subject-matter experts in key decision-making roles.

In many states, including in Telangana, recruitment and promotions often favour generalist officers over domain specialists — even in highly technical departments like forestry. This not only puts aside the credentials of those with academic training and field experience, but also leads to critical gaps in forest planning, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience efforts.

Forestry is no longer a sector that can be managed by broad administrative knowledge alone. With increasing challenges like invasive species, carbon sequestration, biodiversity loss, and human-wildlife conflict, decisions must be guided by scientific data, ecological understanding, and ground-level realities.

Forestry graduates, who undergo rigorous training in ecosystem management, GIS mapping, wildlife conservation, and tribal welfare, are best equipped to address these challenges holistically.

Ignoring such expertise in recruitment and leadership pipelines leads to misaligned priorities, ineffective implementation of policies, and missed opportunities for innovation.

For instance, Telangana has immense potential in eco-tourism, agroforestry, and forest-based carbon credit programs — all of which require the vision and technical inputs of professionals trained specifically in these areas.

It is high time that state governments revise their service rules and administrative frameworks to create space for lateral entry, leadership roles, and promotions for forestry specialists. Not only will this strengthen the efficiency of forest departments, but it will also inspire more young people to pursue careers in forestry, knowing their expertise will be valued and duly rewarded.

Empowering specialists isn’t just a staffing reform — it is a strategic investment in the health of our forests and the future of our environment and our very own survival.

The digitally savvy youth of Telangana — with their increasing environmental awareness — are in a unique position to drive what can be called ‘Green Governance’.

By engaging in local conservation efforts, using social media to spread awareness, and pushing for stronger policy implementation, young individuals can become the strongest allies of the forest.

Forests are long-living ecosystems, which require long-term guardianship. And that is the bottom line.

(The writer is a subject expert with specialisation in forestry)