The Forest Research Centre for Eco-Rehabilitation (FRCER) is a research institute located in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh, India. It functions as a regional centre under the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), an autonomous body of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. The centre is mandated to undertake scientific research on the ecological rehabilitation of degraded lands, with a particular focus on ravine, riverine and other marginal landscapes of the Gangetic plains.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Type | Forestry research institute |
| Location | Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Parent body | Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) |
| Administrative ministry | Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change |
| Focus area | Eco-rehabilitation of degraded lands, ravine reclamation, agroforestry |
| Region served | Uttar Pradesh and adjoining Gangetic plains |
Large parts of central and southern Uttar Pradesh, particularly along the Yamuna, Chambal and their tributaries, are affected by ravines, gullies and other forms of land degradation. Recognising the need for sustained scientific work on the rehabilitation of such terrain, the ICFRE established a dedicated centre at Prayagraj. The institute conducts applied forestry research suited to the agro-climatic conditions of the region and supports state forest departments and farmers with technologies for restoring productivity to degraded sites.
FRCER operates within the network of ICFRE institutes and centres spread across India, which include institutes at Dehradun, Jodhpur, Jabalpur, Jorhat, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Ranchi, Shimla and Hyderabad. As a regional centre, it focuses on the specific environmental and forestry challenges of the Gangetic plain, complementing the broader research carried out by ICFRE's larger institutes.
The centre's work is relevant to national programmes on land degradation, afforestation and climate-resilient land use, including objectives linked to India's commitments under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and national initiatives such as the Green India Mission. By concentrating on ravine reclamation and rehabilitation of marginal lands in Uttar Pradesh, FRCER contributes both ecological and livelihood benefits in one of the most densely populated agricultural regions of the country.