Introduction

The International Cooperation office, ICFRE is headed by the Director (International Cooperation), who supervises the activities of the External Project Division, Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management (CoE-SLM) and the Green Credit Cell (GCC).

The International Cooperation office promotes and strengthens national and international cooperation in the fields of forestry, biodiversity conservation, climate change, and sustainable land management. It facilitates collaboration with national and international organizations through strategic partnerships, Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs), other agreements and Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) under implementation in ICFRE institutes. The Director (IC) coordinates the formulation, submission, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of collaborative projects, mobilizes financial resources from national and international funding agencies, and organizes workshops, seminars, conferences, and capacity-building programmes to foster scientific cooperation and knowledge exchange.

In addition, the Director (IC) oversees the Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management (CoE-SLM) at ICFRE, which serves as a national platform for promoting sustainable land management and supporting India's commitment to achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). The Centre advances scientific research, technology dissemination, policy support, capacity building, South-South cooperation, knowledge sharing, resource mobilization, and networking with national and international institutions engaged in land restoration and ecosystem management.

Director (IC) also coordinates the implementation of the Green Credit Programme (GCP) by promoting climate-positive actions, facilitating voluntary tree plantation initiatives, and supporting the development of a dynamic land bank of degraded forest lands in collaboration with State Forest Departments.