Bhopal: Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said on Friday that collective efforts are needed to protect the forest and environment. 

The Union Minister said that the government or any particular community alone cannot protect the environment and the forest.

He said that excessive plastic use has become a dangerous trend, which may lead to a disaster one day.

Union Minister Yadav made these remarks while addressing the inaugural session of the two-day national workshop focusing on key issues such as forest restoration, climate change, and community-based livelihoods in the tribal regions.

"Due to modern lifestyle, carbon emissions in both rural and urban areas have increased. But we should know that if we keep destroying nature, then nature will destroy us. Therefore, we need to make collective efforts to protect the environment," the Minister said.

He asserted that the rights of communities living in forests or close to nature should be protected, but the "time has come when we need to adjust also".

"We need to work on building capacity for adjustment, and it needs collective efforts from each individual," he added.

At the two-day workshop at Noronha Administrative Academy in Bhopal, the Union Minister noted that the Centre has adopted the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

CDRI - a global partnership promoting disaster-resilient infrastructure, launched by India in 2019, aims to enhance the resilience of infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks, ultimately supporting sustainable development.

The various sessions of the national workshop will include in-depth discussions on topics such as the current legal frameworks for forest conservation, their limitations and solutions, the Biodiversity Amendment Act 2023, community forest rights, documentation of traditional knowledge, and forest restoration. Concluding session of the workshop will be addy by Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel on Saturday.

(IANS)