India's total forest and tree cover has increased by 1,445 sq km since 2021, reaching 25.17 per cent of the total geographical area in 2023
India State of Forest Report 2023 being released on Saturday
Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav released the India State of Forest Report 2023 (ISFR 2023) on Saturday at Forest Research Institute, Dehradun.
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The report, prepared biennially by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), provides a comprehensive assessment of India’s forest and tree resources.
As per the data released, India's total forest and tree cover has increased by 1,445 sq km since 2021, reaching 25.17 per cent of the total geographical area in 2023.Together, the forest and tree cover amount to 8,27,357 sq km or 25.17 per cent of India's geographical area, with forest cover alone rising by 156 sq km.
Forest cover refers to all land that has a tree canopy density of more than 10 per cent and spans over an area of one hectare or more, regardless of the type of ownership or legal status.
This includes natural forests as well as man-made plantations, orchards and tree patches in urban and rural areas that meet the size and canopy density criteria.
Tree cover is defined as patches of trees and isolated trees outside the Reserved Forest Area (RFA) that are less than one hectare.
He further mentioned that India has achieved an additional carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes compared to 2005 levels.
India's carbon stock in 2023 is estimated at 7,285.5 million tonnes, which is an increase of 81.5 million tonnes compared to 2021.
As part of its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to meet the Paris Agreement goals, the country has committed to creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
FSI Director General Anoop Singh said bamboo cover has also been estimated and included in the tree cover. India's total bamboo-bearing area is now estimated at 1,54,670 sq km, an increase of 5,227 sq km compared to 2021.
The states with the biggest gains in total forest and tree cover were Chhattisgarh (684 sq km), Uttar Pradesh (559 sq km), Odisha (559 sq km), and Rajasthan (394 sq km).
The highest gains in forest cover were reported in Mizoram (242 sq km), Gujarat (180 sq km), and Odisha (152 sq km).
In terms of total area, Madhya Pradesh has the most forest and tree cover (85,724 sq km), followed by Arunachal Pradesh (67,083 sq km) and Maharashtra (65,383 sq km).
Madhya Pradesh has the highest forest cover (77,073 sq km), followed by Arunachal Pradesh (65,882 sq km) and Chhattisgarh (55,812 sq km).
When it comes to forest cover as a percentage of geographical area, Lakshadweep ranks first (91.33 percent), followed by Mizoram (85.34 percent) and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (81.62 percent).
The FSI also examined forest cover changes in the Western Ghats and Eastern States Area (WGESA) during the last decade, revealing a total loss of 58.22 sq km.
During this time, very dense forests expanded by 3,465.12 sq km, whereas moderately dense forests and open forests contracted by 1,043.23 and 2,480.11 square kilometres, respectively.
The country's hill districts have a forest cover of 2,83,713.20 sq km, accounting for 40 percent of their total geographical area. According to the most recent study, hill districts' forest cover has increased by 234.14 sq km.
According to the most recent ISFR study, the northeastern region's forest cover has decreased by 327.30 sq km.
The region's total forest and tree cover is 1,74,394.70 sq km, or 67 percent of its geographical area.
According to the research, the country's overall mangrove cover is 4,991.68 sq km, representing a 7.43 sq km drop since 2021.
According to the research, the categories of moderately dense forest and open forest decreased by 1,043.23 sq km and 2,480.11 sq km, respectively, during the last decade, despite gains in very dense forest.
The FSI has been measuring forest cover since 1987, and tree cover since 2001.
According to the National Forest Policy of 1988, 33 percent of India's geographical area should be covered with forest or trees.
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