Context:

According to India State of Forest Report 2023 (ISFR 2023) Uttar Pradesh (UP) recorded the second-largest increase in forest and tree cover in India, with an increase of 559 sq km.

About India State of Forest Report:

  • The ISFR is released every two years by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) and has been published since 1987.
  • The FSI conducts a detailed assessment of the country’s forest and tree resources using satellite data and a field-based National Forest Inventory (NFI). The findings are then published in the ISFR.
  • The report contains information on forest cover, tree cover, mangrove cover, growing stock, carbon stock in India’s forests, instances of forest fire, Agroforestry, etc.
  • The ISFR provides detailed information on the health of forests in India, including data on forest cover and key forest characteristics.
  • According to the latest ISFR 2023 report:
    • The total Forest and Tree cover is 827,357 sq km, which is 25.17% of India’s total land area.
    • Forest cover is 715,343 sq km (21.76% of the country’s area).
    • Tree cover is 112,014 sq km (3.41% of the country’s area).

Major Findings:

  • Increase in Forest and Tree Cover (compared to 2021):
    • Total increase: 1,445 sq km
    • Forest cover increase: 156 sq km
    • Tree cover increase: 1,289 sq km
  • Top Four States with Maximum Increase:
    • Chhattisgarh: 684 sq km
    • Uttar Pradesh: 559 sq km
    • Odisha: 559 sq km
    • Rajasthan: 394 sq km
  • Top Three States with Maximum Increase in Forest Cover:
    • Mizoram: 242 sq km
    • Gujarat: 180 sq km
    • Odisha: 152 sq km
  • Top Three States with the Largest Forest and Tree Cover:
    • Madhya Pradesh: 85,724 sq km
    • Arunachal Pradesh: 67,083 sq km
    • Maharashtra: 65,383 sq km
  • Top Three States with the Largest Forest Cover by Area:
    • Madhya Pradesh: 77,073 sq km
    • Arunachal Pradesh: 65,882 sq km
    • Chhattisgarh: 55,812 sq km
  • Highest Forest Cover by Percentage:
    • Lakshadweep: 91.33%
    • Mizoram: 85.34%
    • Andaman & Nicobar Islands: 81.62%
  • States/UTs with Forest Cover Above 33%:
    • 19 states/UTs have over 33% forest cover.
    • 8 states/UTs have over 75% forest cover: Mizoram, Lakshadweep, A&N Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Manipur.
  • Mangrove Cover: 4,992 sq km in India.

Carbon Sequestration (NDC Target):

  • India’s carbon stock: 30.43 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
  • Achieved an additional 2.29 billion tonnes carbon sink, closer to the 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes target by 2030.

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