India State of Forest Report 2021

On January 13, 2021, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MOEF&CC) released the biennial India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021. “The total forest and tree cover of the country is 80.9 million hectares, which is 24.62 percent of the country’s geographical area,” said Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for MoEF&CC, while sharing the report findings. 

The Forest Survey of India (FSI), an organisation under the MOEF&CC, has a robust scientific system for biennial assessment of forest cover and inventory of forests as well as trees outside forests. The ISFR 2021 report is the seventeenth in the series and examines the growing stock in forests and trees outside forests, bamboo resources, carbon stock, and a number of other parameters.

INCREASE IN FOREST AND TREE AREA

The country’s forest and tree cover continues to grow. Over the last two years, an additional 1,540 square kilometres of cover has been added.

The forest cover in India is now 7,13,789 square kilometres (21.71 percent of the country’s geographical area), up from 67 percent in 2019. Tree cover is defined as all tree patches less than one hectare in size that occur outside of the recorded forest area. This includes trees of all shapes and sizes, as well as scattered trees. The area covered by trees has grown by 721 sq/km.

INCREASE/DECREASE IN FORESTS

Five Northeastern states have lost forest cover: Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland.

According to the ISFR 2021, India reported 3,45,989 forest fires from November 2020 to June 2021. This is the highest level ever recorded in the country for this time period. During the same period in 2018-19, approximately 2,58,480 forest fires were reported (Rajya Sabha query response, December 16, 2021), indicating a significant increase. 

The Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Nagaland are the top five states in terms of forest cover as a percentage of total geographical areas. The term ‘forests areas’ refers to the legal status of the land as recorded by the government, whereas the term ‘forest cover’ refers to the presence of trees on any land. 

“STATES WITH HIGHEST FORESTS AREA/COVER”

Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Nagaland have the highest forest cover as a percentage of total geographical area. The term ‘forest area’ refers to the legal status of the land as recorded by the government, whereas the term ‘forest cover’ refers to the presence of trees on any land.

MANGROVES: Mangroves have expanded by 17 square kilometres, bringing India’s total mangrove cover to 4,992 square kilometres.

Odisha (8 sq km), Maharashtra (4 sq km), and Karnataka are the top three states with increased mangrove cover (3 sq km). 

FOREST FIRES: 46 percent of the forest cover is prone to forest fires.

81 percent are extremely prone, 7.85 percent are very highly prone, and 11.51 percent are highly prone.

Climate change and rising temperatures will have an impact on 45-64 percent of India’s forests by 2030.

Forests in all states (except Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Nagaland) will be highly vulnerable climate hotspots.

Ladakh (0.1-0.2 percent forest cover) is likely to be the worst affected.

What kind of forests are growing?

A forest is simply a large group of trees. A forest, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), is defined as land with more than 10% tree crown cover and an area of at least 0.5 hectares.

Forests cover approximately 30% of the earth’s surface and contain approximately 3 trillion trees. They can be found in dry, wet, cold, and hot climates. A forest ecosystem is a group of organisms that live in a forest. There are various types of forests, which are classified primarily by their distance from the equator. And if we understand the value of forests, we can see how a world devoid of trees could spell the end of all life, including humans.

Different types of forests

From the rainforests of Kerala in the south to the alpine pastures of Ladakh in the north, from the deserts of Rajasthan in the west to the evergreen forests of the north-east, India has a diverse range of forests. The main factors that determine the type of forest are climate, soil type, topography, and elevation. Forests are classified based on their nature and composition, the climate in which they thrive, and their relationship to the surrounding environment.

Conclusion

The Forest Survey of India, an organisation under the MOEF & CC, has a robust scientific system for biennial assessment of forest cover and inventory of forests as well as trees outside forests. On January 13, 2021, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change released the biennial India State of Forest Report 2021.”The total forest and tree cover of the country is 80. The Forest Survey of India, an organisation under the MOEF & CC, has a robust scientific system for biennial assessment of forest cover and inventory of forests as well as trees outside forests. The ISFR 2021 report is the seventeenth in the series and examines the growing stock in forests and trees outside forests, bamboo resources, carbon stock, and a number of other parameters.