Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun

12-Dec-2022: Increase in Forest Cover

Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, an organization under the Ministry carries out the assessment of forest cover of the country biennially since 1987 and the findings are published in India State of Forest Report (ISFR). The forest cover assessment is a wall-to- wall mapping exercise based on remote sensing supported by intensive ground verification and field data from National Forest Inventory. As per latest ISFR 2021, the total forest cover of the country is 7,13,789 square kilometer which is 21.71% of the geographical area of the country. The current assessment shows that the total forest cover of the country has increased by 1540 square kilometre, tree cover has increased by 721 square kilometer and total forest and tree cover has increased by 2261 square kilometre at the national level as compared to the previous assessment i.e. ISFR 2019.

To increase the forest cover in the country, afforestation programmes are taken up under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes of the Ministry such as National Mission for a Green India (GIM). GIM is one of the eight Missions outlined under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. It aims at protecting, restoring and enhancing India’s forest cover and responding to Climate Change by undertaking plantation activities in the forest and non- forest areas. GIM activities were started in the FY 2015-16. So, far a sum of Rs. 681.92 Crores have been released to fifteen States and one union territory for creation of plantation over an area of 128383 hectares.

The Ministry is implementing Nagar Van Yojana (NVY) since the year 2020 which envisages developing 400 Nagar Vans and 200 Nagar Vatika in the country during the period of 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an objective to significantly enhance the tree outside forests and green cover, enhancement of biodiversity and ecological benefits to the urban and peri-urban areas apart from improving quality of life of city dwellers with the funds under the National Fund of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).The Ministry has approved 270 projects under Nagar Van Yojana with the total cost of Rs.238.64 Crore till date, which includes an amount of Rs. 57.14 Crore for creation of 97 Nagar Van/Vatika during 2022-23.

Afforestation activities are also taken up under various programmes/funding sources such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Compensatory Afforestation Funds under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). Afforestation activities are also taken up under various schemes of State Government /UT Administration. In addition, plantations are also done by various departments, Non-Government Organizations, Civil Society, Corporate bodies etc.

The multi departmental efforts have yielded good results in conserving environment by addressing the problem of deforestation, besides keeping the pace of development, which is evident from the fact that the forest cover has stabilized and has been constantly increasing over the years. As per the latest ISFR 2021, the total forest cover of the country has increased by 12,294 square kilometres in the last seven years (ISFR 2015 to ISFR 2021).

8-Aug-2022: Programmes to Increase Forest Cover

Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, an organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change carries out the assessment of forest cover of the country biennially and the findings are published in India State of Forest Report (ISFR). This assessment gives the requisite data on change of forest cover in the country. As per ISFR2021, the total forest cover of the country is 7,13,789km2 which is 21.71% of the geographical area of the country. The forest cover of the country has increased by 1540km2 as compared to the last assessment i.e., ISFR 2019.Further, the overall increase in forest cover in the last one decade is 21,762km2.

Climate Change is expected to impact the diverse ecosystems of the country in different ways. As per India’s Third Biennial Update Report (2021) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the studies on forests and biodiversity indicate that many natural ecosystems in the country are vulnerable to ongoing and future climate change. The studies also show that Indian forests still retain considerable potential for carbon sequestration. The dominant forest type in the country, namely the tropical dry forest, has considerable resilience to store carbon and maintain diversity in the face of climate related disturbances such as drought and fire as per studies in the Western Ghats, though changes in tree species composition are expected to occur. The studies have also brought out the vulnerability of the natural grasslands of the country to climate change with the risk of invasion by alien and native woody plants. There are already indications that both herbaceous and woody plants are moving to higher elevations in mountain regions such as the Himalaya.

Various schemes are being implemented by the Central and State Governments/Union Territory Administration for increase in forest and tree cover in the country. These include, the National Afforestation Programme (NAP) and Green India Mission (GIM) being implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. National Afforestation Programme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for regeneration of degraded forest and adjoining areas in the country. The scheme has been implemented through three-tier institutional setup of State Forest Development Agency (SFDA) at State level, Forest Development agency (FDA) at Forest Division level and Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) at Village level. Green India Mission is one of the eight Missions outlined under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. It aims at protecting, restoring, and enhancing India’s forest cover and responding to climate change by means of plantation activities in the forest and non-forest areas.

Afforestation activities are also taken up under various programmes/funding sources such as Compensatory Afforestation Funds under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), afforestation activities under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA), National Agroforestry Policy and Sub-mission on Agro-forestry (SMAF), National Bamboo Mission and National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture. In addition to above, State and UT Governments have their own afforestation and reforestation programmes. Almost every State has activities under social forestry, which largely focuses on tree planting in the areas outside forests.

4-Aug-2022: Incentive programmes for afforestation

Hence, the overall increase in forest cover in the last one decade is 21,762 square kilometre.

To improve and increase the forest & tree cover in the country, afforestation programmes are taken up under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes of the Ministry such as National Mission for a Green India (GIM). GIM is one of the eight Missions outlined under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. It aims at protecting, restoring and enhancing India’s forest cover and responding to Climate Change by undertaking plantation activities in the forest and non-forest areas.

The Ministry is implementing Nagar Van Yojana (NVY) since the year 2020 which envisages developing 400 Nagar Vans and 200 Nagar Vatika in the country during the period of 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an objective to significantly enhance the tree outside forests and green cover, enhancement of biodiversity and ecological benefits to the urban and peri-urban areas apart from improving quality of life of city dwellers with the funds under the National Fund of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). The Ministry is also implementing ‘School Nursery Yojana’ (SNY) since the year 2020 for a period of five years where students of class Sixth, Seventh and Eighth from all public and private schools organized by State Boards/ Central Government Boards all over the country will be actively involved in developing nursery, raising and planting seedlings as part of school curriculum.

The India State of Forest Reports published by the Ministry shows that overall at the national level forest cover has increased by 21,762 square kilometre in the last one decade. There is no decreasing trend in forest cover of the country.

14-Mar-2022: Conservation, Protection and Management of Forests

Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, an organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, carries out assessment of forest cover of the country biennially and publishes the findings in the India State of Forest Report (ISFR). The assessment is based on remote sensing supported by intensive ground verification. As per ISFR-2021, there is an overall increase of 1540 square kilometre in the forest cover at the national level as compared to the previous assessment i.e. ISFR-2019.

The National Forest Policy, 1988 is the main policy document containing guiding principles for conservation, protection and management of forests in the country. The principal aim of the 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.

The National Forest Policy,1988 provides a strategy on “Tribal People and Forests” which acknowledges the symbiotic relationship between the tribal people and forests. The policy mentions that while safeguarding the rights and interests of tribal people, forestry programmes should pay special attention to the protection, regeneration and optimum collection of minor forest produce along with institutional arrangements for the marketing of such produce. Hence the existing Forest Policy takes care of the rights of indigenous people dwelling in the forest area along with protection of the forest.