According to the latest data released by the Global Forest Watch Monitoring Project, India has lost 2.33 million hectares of forest area since 2000, which is equivalent to a six percent decline in forest cover during this period. This is equivalent to a six percent reduction in tree cover.
Global Forest Watch (GFW)
- Monitors forest changes in real time using satellite data and other sources.
- Established: By World Resources Institute (WRI) in the year 1997.
- It began as a network of NGOs producing up-to-date reports on the state of forests in four pilot countries: Cameroon, Canada, Gabon and Indonesia.
World Resources Institute (WRI)
- It is a global research non-profit organization.
- Established: 1982 with funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
- Headquarters: Washington D.C. ,
- WRI studies sustainable practices for business, economics, finance and governance with the aim of better supporting human societies across six areas – food, forests, water, energy, cities and climate.
Highlights of the report
- From 2002 to 2023, 4,14,000 hectares of moist primary forest (4.1 percent) was lost in India, which is 18 percent of the total tree cover loss over the same period.
- Forests in India could emit 51 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year and sink 141 million tonnes of carbon dioxide between 2001 and 2022.
- This represents a net carbon sink equivalent to 89.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
- Tree loss in India resulted in an average of 51.0 million tonnes of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere per year.
- A total of 1.12 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent were emitted during this period.
- The data shows that 95 percent of the tree cover loss in India from 2013 to 2023 has occurred within natural forests.
- 60 per cent of the total tree cover loss between 2001 and 2023 is expected to occur in five states (Assam > Mizoram > Arunachal Pradesh > Nagaland > Manipur).
- The maximum loss of trees was in Assam at 324,000 hectares compared to an average of 66,600 hectares.
- From 2002 to 2022, 35,900 hectares of trees were lost due to fires in India.
- The year 2008 recorded the highest tree loss (3,000 hectares) due to fire.
- From 2001 to 2022, Odisha had the highest rate of tree loss due to fire.
- After that is Arunachal Pradesh > Nagaland > Assam > Meghalaya.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the deforestation rate in India was 668,000 hectares per year between 2015 and 2020, the second highest worldwide.
- Forests are both sinks and sources for carbon.
- Forests remove carbon dioxide from the air when left standing or regrow and release carbon dioxide when cut down or degraded.
- Thus, destruction of forests accelerates climate change.
- Tree cover loss includes man-made loss (cutting and fire etc.) and loss caused by natural disturbances (fire, disease and storm etc.).
- These may be permanent or temporary.