India’s total forest and tree cover has expanded by 1,445 square kilometers since 2021, now covering 25.17% of the country’s geographical area, as per the latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023. Released on Saturday, the report highlights a steady increase in forest and tree cover across the nation.
According to the ISFR, India’s forest cover grew from 7,13,789 sq km in 2021 to 7,15,343 sq km in 2023, which now constitutes 21.76% of the country’s total geographical area. The tree cover, which includes patches of trees outside reserved forest areas, increased by 1,289 sq km, bringing its total to 3.41% of India’s geographical area.
Together, forest and tree cover now amount to 8,27,357 sq km, marking a significant increase of 1,445 sq km compared to 2021. Of this, the forest cover alone increased by 156 sq km.
The Forest Survey of India (FSI) defines forest cover as areas with a tree canopy density of over 10% spanning at least one hectare, including natural forests, plantations, and urban tree patches. Tree cover, on the other hand, refers to smaller patches or isolated trees outside the Reserved Forest Area (RFA) that are less than one hectare in size.
Madhya Pradesh continues to lead the country in both total forest and tree cover, followed by Arunachal Pradesh and Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan have seen the largest gains in forest and tree cover.
Notably, northeastern states such as Mizoram have made significant strides, with Mizoram alone witnessing a rise of 242 sq km in forest cover, reversing some of the declines reported in the 2021 ISFR.
Overall, the report reflects a positive trend in India’s efforts to preserve and increase its green cover, with various states contributing to the nationwide improvement.
