By What is India State of Forest Report (ISFR)?
- The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) is published by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) which comes under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- This report is released biennially, i.e. published every two years since 1987.
- It serves as a crucial tool for policy-making and forest management as it provides comprehensive data on the forest and tree cover of India.
Assessment Method used by Forest Survey of India (FSI)
- It uses satellite data
- It uses National Forest Inventory data
- It does field verification
- It also covered 751 districts (up from 636 in previous report)
Key Definitions Used in ISFR 2023
- Tree Cover: Tree cover comprises all tree patches that lie outside the forest area.
- Forest Cover: Forest cover is defined as all lands with a tree canopy density of more than or equal to 10%.
- Forest Area: Forest Area can be defined as all such lands which have been notified as forest under any Government Act or Rules or recorded as ‘forests’ in the Government Records.
| Note: The term ‘forest area’ refers to the legal status of the land as per the government records. The term ‘forest cover’ indicates the presence of trees over any land. |
What are the Key findings of ISFR 2023?
- Forest and Tree Cover: The total forest and tree cover of the country is constitutes25.17% of the geographical area (GA) of the country.
- The total Forest Cover is 21.76%, i.e. maximum increase was recorded in Mizoram followed by Gujarat and Odisha.
- The total Tree Cover is 3.41%, i.e. maximum increase was recorded in Chhattisgarh, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan.
- The largest decrease of forest and tree cover was recorded in Madhya Pradesh followed by Karnataka, Ladakh and Nagaland.
- Area Wise Top Three States with largest Forest Cover:
- Madhya Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Chhattisgarh
- Percentage-wise forest cover with respect to total geographical area:
- Lakshadweep
- Mizoram
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Top 4 Carbon Stock States:
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Madhya Pradesh
- Chhattisgarh
- Maharashtra
- Mangrove Cover: India’s mangrove cover represents 0.15% of the total geographical area.
- Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra experienced an increase in the mangrove cover, whereas Gujarat saw a decrease in mangrove cover.
- 3 States with most Forest Fire Incidents in 2023-2024:
- Uttarakhand,
- Odisha, and
- Chhattisgarh
States/Union Territories that has forest cover above 75%
Trends in Forestry Patterns from 2013 to 2023
- Increase in Greenery: India’s green cover has been steadily enhanced over the past decade as the tree cover and mangrove areas expanded, contributing significantly to ecological stability and restoring and protecting coastal ecosystems.
- Soil Health Improvements: Positive changes were also observed in soil health during this period.
- The proportion of shallow to deep soils improved to 87.16%, up from 83.53% in 2013, suggesting better humus content and nutrient levels.
- Soil organic carbon levels rose which plays a key role in maintaining soil structure and fertility.
- Reduction in Biotic Pressure: Biotic pressures on forests were reduced to 26.66% from 31.28% in 2013.
- It reflects healthier forest ecosystems and improved biodiversity which means less human and animal interference, i.e. grazing, lopping, illegal felling.
The 18th India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 reaffirm India’s dedication to its climate and biodiversity goals, such as the Paris Agreement and the Bonn Challenge, showing that consistent efforts toward forest conservation are bearing fruit.