The total tree and forest cover in the country increased by 5,188 square kilometers in the last two years, said the India State of Forest Report 2019 which was released on Monday by Union Minister Prakash Javadekar.
While releasing the report, Javadekar said that there is an increase of 42.6 million tonnes in the carbon stock of the country as compared to the last assessment in 2017. “This report gives us confidence that we are on track to achieve our Paris Agreement goals,” Javadekar, the minister in charge of environment, forest and climate change told reporters in New Delhi.
The current assessment shows an increase of 3,976 sq km (0.56 percent) of forest cover, 1,212 sq km (1.29 percent) of tree cover and 5,188 sq km (0.65 percent) of forest and tree cover put together, at the national level as compared to the previous assessment i.e. ISFR 2017.India State of Forest Report 2019
The mangrove cover in the country has increased by 54 sq km (1.10 percent) as compared to the previous assessment, he said.
The top five states in terms of increase in forest cover:
- Karnataka (1,025 sq km)
- Andhra Pradesh (990 sq km)
- Kerala (823 sq km)
- Jammu & Kashmir (371 sq km)
- Himachal Pradesh (334 sq km)
Other Highlights From India State of Forest Report 2019
- The total forest cover of the country is 7,12,249 sq km which is 21.67 percent of the geographical area of the country.
- The tree cover is estimated as 95,027 sq km which is 2.89 percent of the geographical area.
- The total forest and tree cover is 8,07,276 sq km which is 24.56 percent of the geographical area.
- The current assessment shows an increase of 3,976 sq km (0.56 percent) of forest cover, 1,212 sq km (1.29 percent) of tree cover and 5,188 sq km (0.65 percent) of forest and tree cover put together, at the national level as compared to the previous assessment i.e. ISFR 2017.
- The top five states in terms of increase in forest cover are Karnataka (1,025 sq km), Andhra Pradesh (990 sq km), Kerala (823 sq km), Jammu & Kashmir (371 sq km) and Himachal Pradesh (334 sq km).
- In the present assessment, total carbon stock in forest is estimated as 7,124.6 million tonnes. There is an increase of 42.6 million tonnes as compared to the last assessment of 2017.
- There are 62,466 wetlands covering 3.83 percent of the area within the Recorded Forest Area/Green Wash the country.
- The total number of wetlands located within the RFA/GW is 8.13 percent.
- Amongst the states, Gujarat has largest area of wetlands within RFA in the country followed by West Bengal.
- Dependence for fuelwood on forests is highest in Maharashtra, whereas, for fodder, small timber and bamboo, dependence is highest in Madhya Pradesh.
- 21.40 percent of the forest cover of the country is highly to extremely fire prone.
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