<p>The 17th edition of the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) apparently provides some good news about the country’s forests. But it also flags some areas of concern that cast a shadow over the report as such. The report says that India’s forests have increased by 2,261 sq km after the previous ISFR in 2019, and that forests and trees now cover about 24.62 % of the country’s total geographical area. The states that have contributed to the increase in forest cover are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Karnataka. Some states have a higher percentage, with 17 states and UTs recording as much 33% of forest and tree cover. The total forest cover in the country is over 7 lakh sq km. The very dense forest areas have marginally increased, too, though over 1,600 sq km of them was destroyed since 2019. </p>.<p>Though the figures look good, there are many question marks over them. The very definition of ‘forest’ and the methodology in the report are problematic. It covers almost all tree clusters with some leaf cover and even coconut groves and sugarcane fields. Natural forests have actually been lost but have been compensated by the increase in protected areas and reserve forests. Plantations, which account for a large part of the increase, cannot be considered as forests because they are monoculture tree clusters. They do not serve a forest’s functions as a repository of biodiversity and as a carbon sink. The loss of forests is considerable in five North-East states. Experts have felt that the report is misleading and some have even thought that it may be an attempt to show that the country has made progress in meeting its climate change commitments. In the case of Karnataka, very dense forests and open forest cover have increased, while moderately dense forest cover has shrunk. It should also be noted that the forest cover in Karnataka is only about 20% of the state’s geographical area, and is less than the national average. </p>.<p>The report also says that 45-64% of forests are prone to climate change impact and has, for the first time, mapped climate change hotspots. It predicts that Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand will experience the highest temperature increase and Tamil Nadu and West Bengal may experience the least increase. It also projects that the Upper Malabar coast will experience the highest increase in rainfall. The link between climate and forests is as old as the hills and the report underlines it. But overall, it may not reflect the true state of forests in the country. Some estimates have said that the country’s tree-cover has actually shrunk by 5% in the past two decades. </p>
<p>The 17th edition of the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) apparently provides some good news about the country’s forests. But it also flags some areas of concern that cast a shadow over the report as such. The report says that India’s forests have increased by 2,261 sq km after the previous ISFR in 2019, and that forests and trees now cover about 24.62 % of the country’s total geographical area. The states that have contributed to the increase in forest cover are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Karnataka. Some states have a higher percentage, with 17 states and UTs recording as much 33% of forest and tree cover. The total forest cover in the country is over 7 lakh sq km. The very dense forest areas have marginally increased, too, though over 1,600 sq km of them was destroyed since 2019. </p>.<p>Though the figures look good, there are many question marks over them. The very definition of ‘forest’ and the methodology in the report are problematic. It covers almost all tree clusters with some leaf cover and even coconut groves and sugarcane fields. Natural forests have actually been lost but have been compensated by the increase in protected areas and reserve forests. Plantations, which account for a large part of the increase, cannot be considered as forests because they are monoculture tree clusters. They do not serve a forest’s functions as a repository of biodiversity and as a carbon sink. The loss of forests is considerable in five North-East states. Experts have felt that the report is misleading and some have even thought that it may be an attempt to show that the country has made progress in meeting its climate change commitments. In the case of Karnataka, very dense forests and open forest cover have increased, while moderately dense forest cover has shrunk. It should also be noted that the forest cover in Karnataka is only about 20% of the state’s geographical area, and is less than the national average. </p>.<p>The report also says that 45-64% of forests are prone to climate change impact and has, for the first time, mapped climate change hotspots. It predicts that Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand will experience the highest temperature increase and Tamil Nadu and West Bengal may experience the least increase. It also projects that the Upper Malabar coast will experience the highest increase in rainfall. The link between climate and forests is as old as the hills and the report underlines it. But overall, it may not reflect the true state of forests in the country. Some estimates have said that the country’s tree-cover has actually shrunk by 5% in the past two decades. </p>
