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Even though broader aspects of nature conservation are frequently mentioned, little attention is given to forest-specific nature conservation. Creation of reserved and protected forests, however, is one of the important strategies to mitigate climate change today. In India, many important policies and rules governing the protection and conservation of forests are made to reduce indiscriminate diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes since as early as 1894.

This conservation-based forest policy has prevented the loss of forest, which contributes to stabilize carbon stocks in forests, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. “With this approach India can claim to be maintaining the baseline stocks (8.79 gtC), as well as the increment (0.96 gtC).”( Rawat 2008) Evidence showing that the forest conservation method is working is that in the year 2000, total India per capita CO₂ of equivalent emissions were roughly 10 times less than those of developed countries like USA and Germany and about half of those of developing countries.

Conservation of forest is making a positive contribution to stabilize global climate change and to promoting sustainable development. Forest management, however, could not contribute to a full but half of a wedge. A second half-wedge would be created by reforesting or afforesting in tropic or temperate zone and nonforested land.

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