<p>The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, released recently by Forest Survey of India, has highlighted decadal change in the forest cover – recorded between 2013 and 2023 – on a variety of parameters such as agroforestry, forest fire, mangrove forests, and cover in hill districts and the Western Ghats regions. The 2023 assessment in the biennial report has found that the forest and tree cover, combined, has increased by 1,445.81 sq km over the assessment made in the last report of 2021. </p>.<p>The report indicates that India’s forest cover measures 7,15,342.61 sq km (21.76% of the geographical area of the country), while the tree cover is 1,12,014.34 sq km (3.41% of the geographical area). The break-up reveals that the increase in forest cover is a meagre 156.41 sq km, while that of tree cover is 1,289.4 sq km. The increase in cover in two years, in both cases, is less than .02%.</p>.<p>Forest cover has two components i.e. inside recorded forest areas (RFA) and areas that are not notified forests. The two-year increase in RFA is a disappointing 7.28 sq km, while it is 149.13 sq km in areas outside notified forests. Many big states like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu have lost forest cover within RFA. Only a few states like Manipur, Odisha, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Rajasthan have made gains.</p>.<p>Karnataka has gained forest cover both within RFA and outside to the tune of 93.14 and 54.56 sq km, respectively, but suffered a massive loss of 607.06 sq km in tree cover that comprises trees along linear infrastructures and tree groves up to one hectare, especially on farmlands. Though the state has increased its forest cover, it registered a net loss of 459.36 sq km in both forest and tree cover in two years. Does it mean that Karnataka has been losing trees along the roads and canals, and on farm lands? It needs an internal investigation.</p>.<p>Forest Survey of India assesses forest cover by comparing satellite imagery. Since the tree cover comes from patches below one hectare as well as linear plantations, and are not picked up by satellites, the agency has manually verified 20,000 sample plots and extrapolated the results. Because of the potential human error, this methodology is not as accurate as the interpretation of imagery.</p>.<p>Mangrove forests provide us protection against sea surges and tsunamis and help in reducing the severity of the catastrophe. All coastal states are taking up large-scale mangrove regeneration; yet the country has lost 7.43 sq km of mangrove forests in two years. Gujarat has suffered the biggest loss of 36.39 sq km, while Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have increased mangrove cover by 13.01 and 12.39 sq km, respectively. An intriguing part of the mangrove status is the loss of 4.35 sq km in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, despite minimal anthropogenic pressure there. </p>.<p>Sundarbans in West Bengal which consists 55% of India’s mangrove ecosystem is also stagnating. There is no significant change in the mangrove cover of any other coastal states. Why are mangrove plantations not being picked up by satellites? Are they failing?</p>.<p><strong>Himalayan, north-east forests depleting</strong></p>.<p>What is more interesting in this assessment are the chapters on decadal change over several parameters. The forest cover has increased from 6,98,712.36 sq km in 2013 to 7,15,342.61 sq km in 2023; an increase of 16,630.25 sq km amounting to 2.38% in ten years. The last two years’ increase has only been .02%, which is far below the average increase in the previous eight years. This dismal show speaks very low of the states’ forest management.</p>.<p>The decadal changes also show that except Himachal Pradesh, all Himalayan and North-Eastern states have lost forest cover considerably. Similarly, eco-sensitive areas in the Western Ghats also lost 58.22 sq km of forest cover in ten years. </p>.<p>In a decade, the Western Ghats and Himalayan regions have seen unprecedented downpours and flooding driven by extreme and frequent weather events, leading to loss of infrastructure like roads, bridges, buildings, and more importantly, human lives and properties. We cannot afford to lose forest cover in hilly districts. Decadal changes show that the North-Eastern states have been losing forests at an alarming rate, with Arunachal Pradesh losing 1,084 sq km, followed by Mizoram (987), and Nagaland (794), in ten years. States must step up their efforts in conservation.</p>.<p>The report focuses on forest fire alerts received at Forest Survey of India and by the states. Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh have received maximum alerts in the last fire season. The assessment of carbon stock in the forests has been brought out in a separate, unconnected chapter. In the 2024 summer, we saw fire ravaging the Himalayan, North-East, central, and peninsular Indian forests. </p>.<p>Forest department personnel and people residing in and around forests have lost lives. There is enough evidence from research to substantiate that forests subjected to fire are no longer carbon sinks but are net emitters of greenhouse gases. The holistic approach would be to work and assess the damage done to forest regeneration, wood burned, as well as the emission of CO2 equivalent.</p>.<p>Regarding the greening of megacities, the report suggests that <br>Ahmedabad has added 5 sq km of green cover in two years, while Chennai and Hyderabad lost nearly 2 sq km and 1 sq km, respectively. The green cover in megacities like Bengaluru and Kolkata has remained stagnant and Delhi has suffered a minor loss. Urban greening appears to be the only way we can save ourselves from heat waves and pollution.</p>.<p><em>(The writer is a retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests – Head of Forest Force, Karnataka)</em></p>
<p>The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, released recently by Forest Survey of India, has highlighted decadal change in the forest cover – recorded between 2013 and 2023 – on a variety of parameters such as agroforestry, forest fire, mangrove forests, and cover in hill districts and the Western Ghats regions. The 2023 assessment in the biennial report has found that the forest and tree cover, combined, has increased by 1,445.81 sq km over the assessment made in the last report of 2021. </p>.<p>The report indicates that India’s forest cover measures 7,15,342.61 sq km (21.76% of the geographical area of the country), while the tree cover is 1,12,014.34 sq km (3.41% of the geographical area). The break-up reveals that the increase in forest cover is a meagre 156.41 sq km, while that of tree cover is 1,289.4 sq km. The increase in cover in two years, in both cases, is less than .02%.</p>.<p>Forest cover has two components i.e. inside recorded forest areas (RFA) and areas that are not notified forests. The two-year increase in RFA is a disappointing 7.28 sq km, while it is 149.13 sq km in areas outside notified forests. Many big states like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu have lost forest cover within RFA. Only a few states like Manipur, Odisha, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Rajasthan have made gains.</p>.<p>Karnataka has gained forest cover both within RFA and outside to the tune of 93.14 and 54.56 sq km, respectively, but suffered a massive loss of 607.06 sq km in tree cover that comprises trees along linear infrastructures and tree groves up to one hectare, especially on farmlands. Though the state has increased its forest cover, it registered a net loss of 459.36 sq km in both forest and tree cover in two years. Does it mean that Karnataka has been losing trees along the roads and canals, and on farm lands? It needs an internal investigation.</p>.<p>Forest Survey of India assesses forest cover by comparing satellite imagery. Since the tree cover comes from patches below one hectare as well as linear plantations, and are not picked up by satellites, the agency has manually verified 20,000 sample plots and extrapolated the results. Because of the potential human error, this methodology is not as accurate as the interpretation of imagery.</p>.<p>Mangrove forests provide us protection against sea surges and tsunamis and help in reducing the severity of the catastrophe. All coastal states are taking up large-scale mangrove regeneration; yet the country has lost 7.43 sq km of mangrove forests in two years. Gujarat has suffered the biggest loss of 36.39 sq km, while Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have increased mangrove cover by 13.01 and 12.39 sq km, respectively. An intriguing part of the mangrove status is the loss of 4.35 sq km in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, despite minimal anthropogenic pressure there. </p>.<p>Sundarbans in West Bengal which consists 55% of India’s mangrove ecosystem is also stagnating. There is no significant change in the mangrove cover of any other coastal states. Why are mangrove plantations not being picked up by satellites? Are they failing?</p>.<p><strong>Himalayan, north-east forests depleting</strong></p>.<p>What is more interesting in this assessment are the chapters on decadal change over several parameters. The forest cover has increased from 6,98,712.36 sq km in 2013 to 7,15,342.61 sq km in 2023; an increase of 16,630.25 sq km amounting to 2.38% in ten years. The last two years’ increase has only been .02%, which is far below the average increase in the previous eight years. This dismal show speaks very low of the states’ forest management.</p>.<p>The decadal changes also show that except Himachal Pradesh, all Himalayan and North-Eastern states have lost forest cover considerably. Similarly, eco-sensitive areas in the Western Ghats also lost 58.22 sq km of forest cover in ten years. </p>.<p>In a decade, the Western Ghats and Himalayan regions have seen unprecedented downpours and flooding driven by extreme and frequent weather events, leading to loss of infrastructure like roads, bridges, buildings, and more importantly, human lives and properties. We cannot afford to lose forest cover in hilly districts. Decadal changes show that the North-Eastern states have been losing forests at an alarming rate, with Arunachal Pradesh losing 1,084 sq km, followed by Mizoram (987), and Nagaland (794), in ten years. States must step up their efforts in conservation.</p>.<p>The report focuses on forest fire alerts received at Forest Survey of India and by the states. Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh have received maximum alerts in the last fire season. The assessment of carbon stock in the forests has been brought out in a separate, unconnected chapter. In the 2024 summer, we saw fire ravaging the Himalayan, North-East, central, and peninsular Indian forests. </p>.<p>Forest department personnel and people residing in and around forests have lost lives. There is enough evidence from research to substantiate that forests subjected to fire are no longer carbon sinks but are net emitters of greenhouse gases. The holistic approach would be to work and assess the damage done to forest regeneration, wood burned, as well as the emission of CO2 equivalent.</p>.<p>Regarding the greening of megacities, the report suggests that <br>Ahmedabad has added 5 sq km of green cover in two years, while Chennai and Hyderabad lost nearly 2 sq km and 1 sq km, respectively. The green cover in megacities like Bengaluru and Kolkata has remained stagnant and Delhi has suffered a minor loss. Urban greening appears to be the only way we can save ourselves from heat waves and pollution.</p>.<p><em>(The writer is a retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests – Head of Forest Force, Karnataka)</em></p>
