VISAKHAPATNAM: Andhra Pradesh lost 468 hectares of primary forest in 2024, marking a slight increase from the 424 hectares lost in 2023, according to data released by Global Forest Watch (GFW), a coalition of over 100 organisations.
The data reveals a fluctuating yet steady trend in forest degradation over recent years, with losses recorded at 193 hectares in 2022, 143 hectares in 2021, 225 hectares in 2020, and 363 hectares in 2019.
In 2020, the state had approximately 2.46m hectares of forest, covering nearly 15% of its total land area. However, in 2024 alone, AP lost about 5.73 thousand hectares of natural forest, resulting in an estimated 1.75 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
From 2001 to 2024, the state lost 42.4 thousand hectares of tree cover, representing a 3.8 percent decrease since 2000 and accounting for 23.1 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions.
Annual tree cover loss figures for recent years include 2.87 thousand hectares in 2024, 2.96 thousand hectares in 2023, 1.24 thousand hectares in 2022, 854 hectares in 2021, 1.40 thousand hectares in 2020, and 1.90 thousand hectares in 2019.
AP 2nd in gaining tree cover during 2000-20
Between 2001 and 2024, 66 per cent of the tree cover loss in AP occurred in areas where deforestation was the dominant driver. Key causes of deforestation include conversion to permanent agriculture (26.8 thousand hectares), expansion of settlements and infrastructure (214 hectares), and hard commodities cover (23 hectares).
Temporary disturbances contributing to tree cover loss were logging (1.43 thousand hectares), shifting cultivation (12.7 thousand hectares), wildfires (95 hectares), and other natural disturbances (42 hectares). Two regions in AP accounted for 76 per cent of all tree cover loss between 2001 and 2024, with East Godavari experiencing the highest loss at 16.4 thousand hectares, significantly higher than the average of 3.26 thousand hectares in other areas.
Despite the losses, the State recorded a notable gain in tree cover between 2000 and 2020, adding 194 thousand hectares. This increase represents 11 per cent of India’s total tree cover gain during the same period. AP ranked second among Indian states for tree cover gain, behind Karnataka, which gained 222 thousand hectares.
Regarding fire incidents, between 2001 and 2024, AP lost 1.39 thousand hectares of tree cover due to fires and 41.0 thousand hectares due to other reasons. The year 2009 saw the greatest tree cover loss due to fires, with 189 hectares lost, accounting for 7.4 percent of all tree cover loss that year.