Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, today released the ‘India State of Forest Report 2021’ in New Delhi.
The report prepared by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) points to an increase of 2,261 sq km in the total forest and tree cover of the country in the last two years.
ISFR-2021 also provides first-hand information on total forest cover, tree cover, mangrove cover, growing stock, carbon stock in India’s forests, forest fire monitoring, forest cover in tiger reserve areas, above ground estimates of biomass, and climate change hotspots in Indian forests, etc.
Some key findings of this year’s assessment include the following-
- The total forest and tree cover of the country is 24.62 percent of the geographical area of the country
- Area-wise Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country
- The maximum increase in forest cover witnessed in Andhra Pradesh (647 sq km) followed by Telangana (632 sq km) and Odisha (537 sq km).
- 17 states and UT’s have above 33 percent of the geographical area under forest cover.
- Total carbon stock in country’s forest is estimated to be 7,204 million tonnes, an increase of 79.4 million
- Total mangrove cover in the country is 4,992 sq km, an increase of 17 sq Km observed.
The minister said that the focus of the government is not to just conserve forests quantitatively but to qualitatively enrich them.
The total Forest cover stands at 24.62 Percent
Sharing the findings, the Minister informed that the total forest and tree cover of the country is 80.9 million hectares which is 24.62 percent of the geographical area of the country.
As compared to the assessment of 2019, there is an increase of 2,261 sq km in the total forest and tree cover of the country.
Released the Forest Survey Report.
In 2021, the total forest and tree cover in India is 80.9 million hectares, which is 24.62% of the geographical area of the country.
Encouraging to note that 17 states/UTs have above 33% of the geographical area under forest cover. pic.twitter.com/lGgCuMqB7X
— Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) January 13, 2022
The Minister also expressed happiness over the fact that the present assessment reveals that 17 states and Union Territories have above 33 percent of the geographical area under forest cover.
“The focus of the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is not just to conserve the forests quantitatively but to enrich it qualitatively,” he said in a tweet.
Key Findings of India State of Forest Report 2021
- The total forest and tree cover of the country is 80.9 million hectare which is 24.62 percent of the geographical area of the country. As compared to the previous assessment of 2019, there is an increase of 2,261 sq km in the total forest and tree cover of the country.
- Top three states showing increase in forest cover are Andhra Pradesh (647 sq km) followed by Telangana (632 sq km) and Odisha (537 sq km).
- Area-wise Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra.
- In terms of forest cover as percentage of total geographical area, the top five States are Mizoram (84.53%), Arunachal Pradesh (79.33%), Meghalaya (76.00%), Manipur (74.34%) and Nagaland (73.90%).
- 17 states and UT’s have above 33 percent of the geographical area under forest cover.
- 5 states and UTs namely Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya have more than 75 percent forest cover.
- Total mangrove cover in the country is 4,992 sq km. An increase of 17 sq Km in mangrove cover has been observed as compared to the previous assessment of 2019.
- Total carbon stock in country’s forest is estimated to be 7,204 million tonnes and there an increase of 79.4 million tonnes in the carbon stock of country as compared to the last assessment of 2019.
- The annual increase in the carbon stock is 39.7 million tonnes.
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