INTRODUCTION

Forests are a very crucial natural resource and have always been central in human life.
Forests provide renewable raw materials and energy, maintain biological diversity, mitigate
climate change, protect land and water resources, provide recreation facilities, improve air
quality, and help alleviate poverty. The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) has defined
forest as land with tree crown cover of more than 10% and an area of more than 0.5
hectares. The Indian Government defines a forest as land having a tree crown cover value of
a minimum 15%, land area value of minimum 0.05 ha, and tree height value of a minimum 2
meters. 
The forest canopy area is covered on the ground irrespective of the legal status of the land.
It includes all tree patches which have a canopy density of more than 10% and an area of 1
ha or more in size.
India’s Forest Cover accounts for 21.71% of the total geographical area of the country.
Forests have a crucial role to play in a nation’s economy and hence the Government of India
emphasized their importance in conservation, restoration, stability, and ecological balance in
the 1988 National Forest Policy. Better forest management practices were introduced and
the Indian Forest Service, one of the three All India Services, was constituted in the year
1966 under the All India Services Act, 1951 by the Government of India.
Forest Survey of India (FSI) assesses the forest cover of the country by interpretation of
remote sensing satellite data. The major activities of FSI include – Forest Cover
Assessment, Inventory of Forest areas, Thematic Maps, Inventory of Trees outside Forests
(Rural & Urban), Inventory data processing, Methodology Design, Training and Extension,
Projects and Consultancies. FSI publishes all the analyzed data and results in a biennial
report called ‘State of Forest Report’ (SFR).

FOREST SURVEY OF INDIA

Forest Survey of India (FSI), is a premier national organization for forest resource
assessment working under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.
Besides, carrying out forest and tree cover assessment, Forest Survey of India is also
engaged in providing the services of training, research and extension. Established on June
1, 1981, the Forest Survey of India succeeded the "Preinvestment Survey of Forest
Resources" (PISFR), a project initiated in 1965 by Government of India with the sponsorship
of FAO and UNDP. The main objective of PISFR was to ascertain the availability of raw
material for establishment of wood based industries in selected areas of the country. In its
report in 1976, the National Commission on Agriculture (NCA) recommended the creation of
a National Forest Survey Organization for collection of data on scientific lines through
countrywide comprehensive forest resources survey at regular intervals
OBJECTIVES of FSI

 To prepare State of Forest Report biennially, providing assessment of latest forest

cover in the country and monitoring changes in these.
 To prepare thematic maps on 1:50,000 scale, using aerial photographs.
 To function as a nodal agency for collection, compilation, storage and dissemination
of spatial database on forest resources.
 To conduct training of forestry personnel in application of technologies related to
resources survey, remote sensing, GIS, etc.
 To strengthen research & development infrastructure in FSI and to conduct research
on applied forest survey techniques.
 To support State/UT Forest Departments (SFD) in forest resources survey, mapping
and inventory.
 To undertake forestry related special studies/consultancies and custom made
training courses for SFD’s and other organisations on project basis.

NATIONAL FOREST POLICY

The principal aim of National Forest Policy, 1988 is to ensure environmental stability and
maintenance of ecological balance including atmospheric equilibrium which are vital for
sustenance of all life forms, human, animal and plant.  
Since, inception of the Forest Policy 1988 the forest and tree cover in the country has
increased from 19.7 % of geographical area (State Forest Report, 1987) to 23.4 % of the
geographical area (State Forest Report, 2005) and is indicative of the facts that the forest
policy prescriptions are helping gradually towards achieving environmental stability and
maintenance of the ecological balance.  
The major achievements of National Forest Policy, 1988 are as follows:

 Increase in the forest and tree cover.

 Involvement of local communities in the protection, conservation and management of
forests through Joint Forest Management Programme.
 Meeting the requirement of fuel wood, fodder minor forest produce and small timber
of the rural and tribal populations.
 Conservation of Biological Diversity and Genetic Resources of the country through
ex-situ and in-situ conservation measures.
 Significant contribution in maintenance of environment and ecological stability in the
country.

FOREST COVER STATISTICS IN INDIA

Top 5 states/UTs with most forest cover area

 Madhya Pradesh: 77,493 sq km

 Arunachal Pradesh: 66,431 sq km
 Chhattisgarh: 55,717 sq km
 Odisha: 52,156 sq km
 Maharashtra: 50,798 sq km

Top 5 states/UTs with the most forest cover percentage (of their geographical area)
  Lakshadweep: 90.33 %
 Mizoram: 84.53 %
 Andaman and Nicobar Islands: 81.75 %
 Arunachal Pradesh: 79.33 %
 Meghalaya: 76.00 %

States/UTs with forest cover less than 10% of their geographical area

 Ladakh: 1.35 %
 Haryana: 3.63 %
 Punjab: 3.67 %
 Rajasthan: 4.87 %
 Uttar Pradesh: 6.15 %
 Gujarat: 7.61 %
 Bihar: 7.84 %

States/UTs with considerable forest cover increase from 2019 to 2021

 Andhra Pradesh: 647 sq km increase

 Telangana: 632 sq km increase
 Odisha: 537 sq km increase

MANGROVE COVER (INCLUDED IN TOTAL FOREST COVER)

Mangroves are salt-tolerant plants that grow in coastal brackish waters and are mainly found
between 24° N and 38° S latitudes. Mangroves form an important ecosystem hosting various
species of flora and fauna. The total mangrove cover in India is 4,992 sq km.

Top 5 states with the most mangrove forest cover in India

 West Bengal: 2,114 sq km

 Gujarat: 1,175 sq km
 Andaman and Nicobar Islands: 616 sq km
 Andhra Pradesh: 405 sq km
 Maharashtra: 324 sq km
 Odisha: 259 sq km

IMPORTANCE OF FORESTS
 More than 31% of the land is covered by the forests. 
 A lot of ecosystem services are provided to us by the forests. These
ecosystem services include purifying the water, purifying the air, conserving
the soil, etc.
 Around 80% of the world’s land species reside in the forests. 
 It plays a very important role in lessening the intensity of climate change as it
sinks carbon via the process of photosynthesis.
 It plays a very important role in lessening the intensity of climate change as it
sinks carbon via the process of photosynthesis.
 The global economy is directly linked to the forest. More than one billion
people are directly dependent on the forest for their livelihood.
 Forests provide us with several socio-economic benefits, like, extraction of
food, purification of water, wood products, and several medicinal products.
 Forests protect the watershed for soil erosion.
 They also keep the rivers and reservoirs free from silt.
  The recharge of groundwater is facilitated through the forests.
Deforestation occurs when instead of conserving a forest, we use it for permanent non-
forested land use. These non-forested land uses include agriculture, grazing, or
urbanisation. This leads to an ecological and environmental negative impact. It results in a
significant loss in biodiversity and enhances the harmful effects of greenhouse gases.

CAUSES OF LOSS OF FOREST COVER

Agriculture: With the growing population, the needs of the people also grow. As a result,
more and more people are turning towards agriculture in order to meet their needs. Certain
areas in Northeastern India practise Shifting/Jhum cultivation in which the land, once
cultivated, can longer be used for forestation.

Commercial logging: A lot of timber is being extracted because the lifestyle of the people
has changed in recent years. The demand for wooden furniture has been increasing over the
past years. As a result, a lot of trees are being cut down for the same in order to get the raw
materials. Other industries which have been heavily gathering raw materials from the forests
include paper industries and lumber industries.

Fuelwood gathering: In small forest areas people, who are allowed to dwell, can take away
minor forest produce. Many times, along with the forest produce, they cut down large
numbers of logs from the trees in order to burn their fuel. And since there are no concrete
measures that are taken by the government in order to stop such activities, this has led to
severe deforestation in those areas.

Overgrazing: A lot of trees are being stripped in order to provide fodder to the livestock.
This leads to a removal of vegetation in those areas and as a result forest depletion takes
place.

Increase in population needs: A lot of forest areas are being cut down to provide
settlement to the overgrowing population of the country. A lot of resources are also needed.
Due to the increase in mining activities, we are losing a significant amount of forest cover.

Urbanisation: A lot of infrastructural developments have been taking place in recent years
to promote urbanisation in the country. This has resulted in a cutting down of lots of forests
to provide land for infrastructural purposes. The building of roads, rails, dams, etc. in
between the conservation areas have led to a significant depletion in the forest cover.

Natural Causes: Natural disasters like floods, landslides, and forest fires remove the
vegetation from the land by causing soil erosion in the area. This is also a very important
cause as to why deforestation takes place in an area.

CONSEQUENCES OF FOREST COVER LOSS

Climate Change: The level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is rising because of
deforestation. When the forest cover was more, it significantly helped in taking in the Carbon
Dioxide from the air and releasing oxygen. The surface of the land is directly exposed now
due to deforestation. This enhances the albedo value of the land and that in turn increases
the temperature. Furthermore, deforestation affects the flow of the wind, the flow of the water
vaporisation, etc. It disrupts the normal weather of an area, making it hotter and dryer.

Soil and Water Erosion: With deforestation, the water holding capacity of the soil is
decreased. This is because the upper layer of the soil is removed, and we witness different
types of erosional activities in it. Without the trees, the soil cover in that area is directly
exposed to the sun and the rain. As a result, silt formation takes place in those areas. The
river beds are raised which increase the probabilities of floods.

Decreased Biodiversity: Because of deforestation, a lot of creatures are losing their

habitats, causing conflict between man and animals. We see various wild animals entering
localities because there are no forests in which they could reside. This can trigger
irreversible harmful changes. Many times, the rainforests are converted into savannah
forests in the long run because of cutting down of trees in it. It also causes the extinction of
various species because they have lost their natural habitat.

Economic Loss: The forests are a major source which generates revenue and creates
employment. With a loss in the forest capital, the country can witness a potential loss in its
future.

Social Consequences: Deforestation causes the traditional lifestyles of many people to

change. The tribes residing in the forested areas have to undergo displacement as their
livelihoods are put in danger with the cutting down of trees. With the moving out of their
ancestral land, their quality of lives is also endangered.

FOREST POLICIES IN INDIA

(Research on underlined schemes and programmes)

The Forest Conservation Act of 1980 regulates the use of forests for non-forest purposes.
The government of India has created many forms of restrictions on various sectors regarding
their use of forest products.

The Centrally Sponsored Scheme, National Afforestation Programme is a Scheme for the
regeneration of degraded forests and adjoining areas in the country. It is being implemented
through a three-tier institutional setup of the State Forest Development Agency (SFDA) at
the State level, Forest Development Agency (FDA) at the Forest Division level, and Joint
Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) at the Village level. 

Further, the Green India Mission under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, aims at
protecting, restoring, and enhancing India’s forest cover and responding to climate change
using plantation activities in the forest and non-forest areas.

In 2001, following the orders of the Supreme Court, Compensatory Afforestation Fund and
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) was
established. According to this act, the loss of the forest area is compensated in order to
maintain sustainability. This act also ensures that if a company is using the forest land for
non-forest purposes, then it must provide for an alternative land where afforestation can take
place. The payment for the same should also be incurred by the same company.

According to Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, every house is provided with gas in order for
cooking to take place. This helps in reducing the use of fuelwood for cooking purposes in
homes. This further decreases deforestation in those areas.

Since years, we have been witnessing various peoples’ movements in order to save the
forest cover of the nation. Some of these movements include the Chipko Movement and
Bishnoi Movement. The Chipko Movement attended to the environmental problems of the
Alaknanda area in the Western Himalayas. It came into existence with the motive to save the
Himalayas from destruction, and the movement demanded that the forest produce should
belong to the locals.

The Bishnoi Movement took place in Rajasthan. It was led by Amrita Devi, and around 363
people sacrificed their lives in order to protect their forests. It was the first movement that
developed the strategy for hugging the trees, which was later taken upon by the people in
the Chipko Movement.

RECENT INCREASE IN FOREST COVER

FOREST COVER INCREASE

Forest Cover Rises 2020 report