NEW DELHI: India’s net forest coverage increased by 1,445 square kilometres during 2021-23, but it lost the natural forest density in biodiverse-rich Western Ghats, Northeast, open natural ecosystems and mangrove forests, according to the biennial data released by the Central government on Saturday.
According to the data, the total forest coverage increased from 21.71% of the country’s geographical area in 2021 to 21.76% in 2023. The tree cover increased from 2.91% to 3.41%.
Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav, released the 18th India State of Forest Report 2023 at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. The report shows that India’s total forest and tree cover has increased to 8.27 lakh square kilometres (25.17%) in 2023 from 24.62% in 2021. The scrub area covered 43,622 sq km (1.33% increase) and the non-forest area covered 24,16,489 sq km (73.50%).
The relatively higher increase in trees outside the forest areas is due to the government’s promotion of agroforestry schemes, under which farmers plant trees around their fields. The report shows that tree cover increased in 21states and Union Territories, pointing to agroforestry.
Further, mangrove forests declined by 7.43 km². Gujarat and Andaman reported highest decline, while Andhra and Maharashtra showed gains.
The report underlines loss of about 47,000 sq km of all kinds of forest areas to non-forest use between 2011 and 2021.
Further, the Western Ghats lost 58 km² of forest over the last decade. Nilgiris district lost 123 km², while Uttara Kannada gained 160km².