India has 827,357 sq km of forests, 25.17% of country’s area: Report | Latest News India

New Delhi: The total forest and tree cover in India is 827,357 sq km, which accounts for 25.17% of the country’s geographical area, according to the State of Forest report 2023 released by the Forest Survey of India.

The release of the report was delayed by more than a year. The last report, which is typically released biennially, was published in 2021.

The forest cover spans about 715,343 sq km (21.76%), while the tree cover covers 112,014 sq km (3.41%). Compared to the 2021 assessment, there has been an increase of 1,445 sq km in the total forest and tree cover, nearly as large as the area of Delhi.

According to the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC), top four states showing maximum increase in forest and tree cover are Chhattisgarh (684 sq km) followed by Uttar Pradesh (559 sq km), Odisha (559 sq km) and Rajasthan (394 sq km). Top three states showing maximum increase in forest cover are Mizoram (242 sq km) followed by Gujarat (180 sq km) and Odisha (152 sq km). Area wise top three states having largest forest and tree cover are Madhya Pradesh (85,724 sq km) followed by Arunachal Pradesh (67,083 sq km) and Maharashtra (65,383 sq km).

Also Read: 1 year on, FSI yet to release the crucial State of Forest report

Regarding the achievement of targets under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) for carbon sequestration, the current assessment shows that India’s carbon stock has reached 30.43 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent. This indicates that, compared to the base year of 2005, India has already added 2.29 billion tonnes of carbon sink, nearing the target of 2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes by 2030, the statement said.

The report will also include further analysis of areas facing deforestation. A new chapter on agroforestry has been included, assessing its impact on forest and tree cover. The report has expanded its assessment to 751 districts, compared to 636 in previous reports.