India's green book: Forest growth decelerates as tree cover rises

India's total forest and tree cover stood at 8,27,357 sq km in 2021-23, representing 25.17 per cent of the country's geographical area

The India State of Forest Report 2023 (ISFR 2023), released on Saturday, revealed a significant deceleration in the growth of the country’s forest cover. The report also flagged a troubling development in the Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Area (WGESA), a globally significant biodiversity hotspot, where a net loss of 58.22 sq km of forest cover has been recorded over the last decade.  

Published biennially by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, the ISFR relies on remote sensing satellite data and field surveys to assess forest and tree resources across the country.