In recent years, tree plantation drives have become the face of environmental action in Nagaland. Government agencies, NGOs, and communities participate in mass planting campaigns with ambitious targets, planting perhaps lakhs of saplings each year. While the intent may be noble, the execution reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of ecology. The question we must ask is not how many trees are planted, but what kind, where, and whether they should be planted at all.
First and foremost, the blind pursuit of plantation targets often sidelines ecological wisdom. Native species, adapted to local climates, soil conditions, and biodiversity networks, are frequently ignored in favour of fast-growing, ‘exotic’ and ornamental varieties. These may green the landscape quickly but often degrade soil, deplete groundwater, and displace native flora and fauna. Planting trees without regard to ecological compatibility is not reforestation, it is ecological disruption.
Even more importantly, not all degraded lands need to be replanted. In many cases, nature is perfectly capable of healing itself through a process called natural regeneration. Allowing forests to regrow without human interference leads to stronger, more resilient ecosystems with higher biodiversity. Protecting such landscapes from grazing, encroachment, or fire often yields better outcomes than artificial plantations.
Protection must take precedence over plantation when unnecessary. Forest guards, fencing, and local community engagement can ensure natural regrowth with lower costs and better long-term success. Yet, this approach doesn’t lend itself to ribbon-cutting ceremonies or flashy statistics, which may explain its lack of political popularity.
Also, the government’s obsession with achieving plantation targets, measured in number of saplings or hectares rather than ecological success, is a flawed approach. Trees should not be treated like checkboxes on an annual report. A more thoughtful, location-specific, and science-based approach is needed, one that prioritizes native species, respects local ecosystems, and prioritizes protection and natural recovery over token plantations.
In the race to plant, we must not forget to pause, observe, and let nature do what it does best -grow. Meanwhile, this World Environment Day, instead of unplanned planting of random saplings, why not focus on identifying and protecting primeval trees?