NTPC Ltd. has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, to implement the Narmada Landscape Restoration Project. The program is in partnership with a grant in aid from NTPC Ltd., and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in equal proportions.
The 4-year project will be implemented in Khargone District of Madhya Pradesh, in the catchments of selected tributaries of the River Narmada between Omkareshwar and Maheshwar dams. IIFM, Bhopal, an autonomous Institute under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), GoI with the grant-in-aid from NTPC, Ltd. will be jointly implementing this project with Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), an intergovernmental organization that promotes sustainable and inclusive economic growth in emerging economies. GGGI will participate in this project with funding support from USAID, the international development arm of the US Government.
NLRP’s collaborative and participatory approach will demonstrate the interdependency of the upstream sustainably managed forest and farm practices on downstream water resources. The project aims to establish an incentivisation mechanism that can continue to support the riparian forest and farm communities of the Narmada basin to maintain sustainable landscape practices. This is expected to positively impact the water quality and quantity in the Narmada tributaries. Through NLRP, NTPC Ltd. is extending its support to demonstrate nature-based solutions for enhancing ecosystem services, primarily water.
