India-Japan 7th Joint Working Group Meeting on Forests Held in Bengaluru

The 7th Meeting of the India-Japan Joint Working Group (JWG) on cooperation in the field of forests took place in Bengaluru on 8 September 2026. The meeting brought together forestry officials from both countries to review progress and discuss fresh areas of technical collaboration under their ongoing forestry partnership.

Discussion Under the 7th Joint Working Group Meeting on Forests

The two sides focused their talks on three core areas of forestry cooperation:

1. Tree Outside Forests (TOFs): Both countries exchanged experiences on how to assess, manage, and genetically improve tree resources that grow outside traditional forest areas, such as on farmland or along roadsides.
2. Forest Genetics: Discussions covered conserving genetic resources, improving tree breeding methods, and developing better planting material through germplasm conservation.
3. Forest Stack: Officials shared insights on forest inventory systems, stock assessment methods, and the use of geospatial and monitoring technologies to track forest health more accurately.

These three themes reflect a shift toward using science and technology to strengthen forest management, rather than relying only on traditional conservation approaches.

As part of the programme, delegates visited the Institute of Wood Science and Technology in Bengaluru and interacted with officials from the Karnataka Forest Department to understand regional forestry practices firsthand.

India-Japan 7th Joint Working Group Meeting Delegation

The Indian delegation was led by Ramesh Kumar Pandey, Additional Director General (Forests) at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The Japanese side was headed by Shimizu Kotaro, Deputy Director General at Japan's Forestry Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Field Visit Under India-Japan 7th Joint Working Group Meeting

Beyond the Bengaluru sessions, the delegations have a packed field visit schedule. On 9 September, they are set to visit sandalwood agro-forestry farms along with a sandalwood depot and processing unit in Mysuru. This is followed by a visit to Nagarhole Tiger Reserve on 10 September, giving both sides a chance to compare notes on sandalwood cultivation in private farms and wildlife conservation practices.