India and Japan have agreed on a new roadmap for cooperation in forests, biodiversity and forestry research through 2031. The agreement was reached at the seventh India-Japan Joint Working Group meeting on forests held in Bengaluru on Sept. 8, 2026.

The meeting brought together senior officials from both countries. India was represented by Ramesh Kumar Pandey, Additional Director General (Forests), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Japan's delegation was led by Shimizu Kotaro, Deputy Director General of the Forestry Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

The latest discussions build on a forest cooperation framework signed by India and Japan in December 2015. The agreement covers sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, forest disaster prevention, research, technology and human-resource development.

Three Areas Drive The New Cooperation

The 2026 meeting focused on three areas: Tree Outside Forests, forest genetics and Forest Stack.

Tree Outside Forests covers trees growing outside formally classified forest areas. The two countries exchanged practices on assessing and managing these resources and improving their genetic quality.

Forest genetics discussions covered conservation of genetic resources, tree breeding, improved planting material and germplasm conservation.

The Forest Stack discussions focused on forest inventories, stock assessment, geospatial technologies and monitoring systems. These tools can support more systematic forest management and data collection.

Roadmap Extends Bilateral Forest Work

Both sides endorsed a 2027-2031 roadmap under the 2015 Memorandum of Cooperation. They also signed the minutes of the seventh Joint Working Group meeting.

Japan's Forestry Agency records six earlier meetings, including the sixth meeting in Tokyo in 2025. The series provides a continuing institutional channel for technical cooperation between the two countries.

The broader cooperation is relevant to biodiversity conservation, forest research and climate-related resource management. However, the latest agreement primarily establishes areas for cooperation and does not by itself quantify future forest gains or financial commitments.

Field Visits To Focus On Sandalwood And Wildlife

The delegations also visited the Institute of Wood Science and Technology in Bengaluru and met Karnataka Forest Department officials.

The programme includes visits to sandalwood agro-forestry farms, a sandalwood depot and a processing unit in Mysuru on Sept. 9. The delegations are also scheduled to visit Nagarhole Tiger Reserve on Sept. 10.

The field programme is intended to facilitate exchanges on private-farm sandalwood cultivation and wildlife conservation practices.