The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) recently released the India State of Forest Report-2021. An amendment proposed in October 2021 to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 can bring significant changes to forest governance in India.
About The Report
The report is an assessment of India’s forest and tree cover, published every two years by the Forest Survey of India since its inception in 1987. The ISFR 2021 is the 17th such report, which classifies forests into three categories – very dense forests (canopy density over 70%), moderately dense forests (40-70%) and open forests (10-40%). Scrubs, with a canopy density less than 10%, are also surveyed but not categorised as forests.
New Features of ISFR 2021
For the first time, the report assessed forest cover in tiger reserves, tiger corridors and the Gir forest, the habitat of the Asiatic lion. It noted an increase in forest cover in 20 tiger reserves over the past decade, but a decrease in 32 others. The Pakke Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh recorded the highest forest cover at nearly 97%.
Findings of The Report
The report revealed an increase in forest and tree cover by 1,540 square kilometres during the past two years, making the country’s current forest cover 21.71% of the total geographical area. Tree cover has increased by 721 sq km. The states that showed the highest increase in forest cover were Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. However, five Northeastern states exhibited loss in forest cover.
States with Highest Forest Area/Cover and Mangroves
Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country, followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra. The report also showed an increase of 17 sq km in mangrove cover.
Forest Prone to Fires
The report states that 35.46% of the forest cover is prone to forest fires, with effects of climate change and rising temperatures predicted to affect 45-64% of forests by 2030.
Carbon Stock and Bamboo Forests
The total carbon stock in India’s forests is estimated at 7,204 million tonnes, a rise of 79.4 million tonnes since 2019. Notably, bamboo forests have grown from 13,882 million culms (stems) in 2019 to 53,336 million culms in 2021.
Concerns Highlighted in the Report
A concerning feature is the decline of 1,582 sq km in moderately dense or “natural forests”. Furthermore, the Northeastern states, accounting for 7.98% of the total geographical area but 23.75% of total forest cover, have shown an overall decline of 1,020 sq km in forest cover.
Government Initiatives
To counteract these challenges, several initiatives have been rolled out, including the National Mission for a Green India, National Afforestation Programme (NAP), Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA Funds), National Action Programme to Combat Desertification, and the Forest Fire Prevention & Management Scheme (FFPM).
