Forests

Meghalaya sees 84 sq km decrease in forest cover between 2021-2023: ISFR

Meghalaya lost over 84 sq km forest cover between 2021 and 2023, according to the latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR). Except for Sikkim, which reported an increase of 2 sq km forest cover, all other states in the northeast region witnessed a reduction of the area under forests, it said. The region, with 7.98 per cent of land area, collectively contributes 21.08 per cent of India's forest and tree cover, the ISFR, 2023, said. Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav, had launched the report at the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun on Saturday. It showed a nationwide increase of 1,445 sq km in total forest and tree cover recorded since 2021. While the study did not specify what caused the loss of forest cover in Meghalaya, forest officials in the state said human activities, including agricultural expansion, increased settlement and infrastructure development are suspected to be the reasons. The report also made mention about jhum ...

UP registers second-highest green cover increase in country as per ISFR

Uttar Pradesh has recorded the second-highest increase in the combined forest and tree cover in the country with an increase of 559 sqkm, the state government said in a statement. "UP records the second largest increase in forest and tree cover. Total 559.19 sq km as per the latest ISFR released in Dehradun today," the statement said. UP's Minister of State (Independent Charge) Forest and Environment, Zoological Garden, Climate Change Arun Kumar Saxena credited Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the increase in the green cover with his directions to all stakeholders to plant trees. "And because of the collective efforts, we got positive and good results. We ranked second in the country in increasing the combined forest and tree cover, which is a significant achievement. Only Chhattisgarh is ahead of us," Saxena told reporters. "Our efforts will be to take the state to the number one position," he added. India's total forest and tree cover has increased by 1,445 sq km since 2021, .

India's green cover rises, now 25.17% of geographical area: Govt report

India's total forest and tree cover has increased by 1,445 sq km since 2021, reaching 25.17 per cent of the total geographical area in 2023, according to the latest government data. The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, released on Saturday, said that the country's total forest cover increased from 7,13,789 sq km in 2021 to 7,15,343 sq km in 2023, reaching 21.76 per cent of its geographical area. The tree cover increased by 1,289 sq km and now constitutes 3.41 per cent of the country's geographical area, it said. Together, the forest and tree cover amount to 8,27,357 sq km or 25.17 per cent of India's geographical area. This marks an overall increase of 1,445 sq km from 2021, with forest cover alone rising by 156 sq km. According to the Forest Survey of India (FSI), forest cover refers to all land that has a tree canopy density of more than 10 per cent and spans over an area of one hectare or more, regardless of the type of ownership or legal status. This includes natural

India's compensatory afforestation efforts need reset, accountability

Poor implementation and data gaps hinder India's push for ecological balance

Five cubs born under Vantara's cheetah conservation program in Jamnagar

As per Vantara's objectives, these cubs will soon be rewilded to help restore India's biodiversity

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon drops by nearly 31% compared to last year

Forest loss in Brazil's Amazon dropped by 30.6% compared to the previous year, officials said Wednesday, the lowest level of destruction in nine years. In a 12-month span, the Amazon rainforest lost 6,288 square kilometers (2,428 square miles), roughly the size of the U.S. state of Delaware. The results, announced in Brazils presidential palace, sharply contrast with President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva's predecessor, far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, who prioritized agribusiness expansion over forest protection and weakened environmental agencies. Deforestation hit a 15-year high during his term. Deforestation in Brazil's vast savannah, known as the Cerrado, decreased by 25.7%, the first decline in five years. The area destroyed reached 8,174 square kilometers (3,156 square miles). Located in central Brazil, it is the world's most biodiverse savannah but has fewer legal protections than the Amazon. Despite the success in curbing Amazon deforestation, Lula's government has been ...

Hit by cloud burst, about 50,000 trees uprooted in Telangana's forest

In an ecological disaster, an estimated 50,000 trees spread over about 500 acres in the forests of Mulugu district in Telangana were uprooted following a huge gale and a sudden cloud burst. This happened on the night of August 31 because of local climatic conditions that suddenly developed there due to cloud formation, a senior forest official said on Wednesday. "We never saw such an incident in our lives," the official told PTI. With the massive wind and water gushing (in a particular width and length), it has destroyed the forest and big trees have been uprooted, he said. The other reason why the trees got uprooted was that the plants do not develop a very deep root system as moisture and nutrition are easily available for them in the area, he said. In some places, the root system is developed within one foot, he added. Had it been a very deep root system, the damage would have been less, the official said. In some places, the top part was broken as one tree fell on another tre

Assam govt to notify Poba Reserve Forest as wildlife sanctuary: State min

The Poba Reserve Forest, a rainforest located in the northeastern part of Assam, will soon be notified as a wildlife sanctuary, state Environment and Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said. The proposed Poba Wildlife Sanctuary will encompass an area of 257.29 sq km, including the Poba Reserve Forest, Kabu Chapri Proposed Reserve Forest and the surrounding riverine areas, he said. Making the announcement on Friday, the minister said it is a testament of the government's commitment for conservation and sustainable development of the state's natural resources and biodiversity. Known for its rich wildlife, Poba Reserve Forest serves as an important migratory route for various animals, particularly elephants, as it connects the D' Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary, Kabu Chapri Proposed Reserve Forest and Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, an official statement said. This corridor is the second significant elephant migration route from the north to the south bank of the Brahmaputra river

1 person dead in Athens wildfires; firefighter continue as winds drop

A major wildfire has raged across the northern suburbs of Athens, leaving at least one person dead and triggering multiple evacuations as swirling winds hampered the efforts of hundreds of firefighters and dozens of water-dropping planes. The fire department said shortly after midnight that firefighters found a body in a burnt building in the suburb of Vrilissia, but was unable to immediately provide further details. The blaze started Sunday near Lake Marathon, about 35 kilometres (22 miles) northeast of Athens, coursed across Mount Pendeli and reached the capital's northern suburbs. It burnt several homes and businesses in the city suburbs and in communities near the lake. Greece went on high alert but by late night Monday, a drop in winds offered hope and officials reported progress against the massive, fast-moving blaze that spawned flames over 25 metres (80 feet) high. Fire Department spokesperson Col Vassileios Vathrakogiannis said firefighters were longer battling a single fr

Deforestation in Amazon forest at its lowest level since 2016: Brazil govt

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest slowed by nearly half compared to the year before, according to government satellite data released Wednesday. It's the largest reduction since 2016, when officials began using the current method of measurement. In the past 12 months, the Amazon rainforest lost 4,300 square kilometers (1,700 square miles), an area roughly the size of Rhode Island. That's a nearly 46% decrease compared to the previous period. Brazil's deforestation surveillance year runs from August 1 to July 30. Still, much remains to be done to end the destruction and the month of July showed a 33% increase in tree cutting over July 2023. A strike by officials at federal environmental agencies contributed to this surge, said Joo Paulo Capobianco, executive secretary for the Environment Ministry, during a press conference in Braslia. The figures are preliminary and come from the Deter satellite sytem, managed by the National Institute for Space Research and used by ...

Sunderbans tigers count to rise in conducive habitat with no threat

The number of tigers in the Sunderbans is likely to rise in the next census as there is no threat of saturation and sufficient prey base in the 4,200 sq km area of the mangrove forest, a senior forest official said. The number of Royal Bengal Tigers in West Bengal's Sunderbans as per the 2022 census was 101. "The 2022 tiger census count of 101 is nowhere close to carrying capacity in near future... ," Chief Wildlife Warden Debal Roy told PTI. "On a terrain like the Sunderbans carrying capacity means the number of tigers per 100 sq km. If you keep in mind that Sunderbans has an area of 4,200 sq km and calculate, the carrying capacity of tigers will be far below than any saturation level," he said. Roy said the prey bass consisting of spotted deer is regularly replenished for the tiger population and the forest department is working on steps like anti-poaching, anti-trafficking and barring entry of fishermen, honey collectors, wood collectors and other villagers living in contiguous

India among top 3 countries in most significant forest area gains: FAO

India gained 2,66,000 hectares of forest area annually from 2010 to 2020, securing the third spot among the top 10 countries with the most significant forest area gains during this period, according to a new report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The report, released on Monday, said that China led the world with the maximum forest area gain of 1,937,000 hectares, followed by Australia with 4,46,000 hectares, and then India. Other countries in the top 10 include Chile, Vietnam, Turkey, the United States, France, Italy and Romania. The UN agency praised India for its efforts in restoring degraded lands and expanding agroforestry through innovative approaches. This includes the development of a new national policy aimed at better supporting agroforestry in the country. The report highlighted a significant reduction in deforestation in some countries. For example, Indonesia saw an 8.4 per cent decline in deforestation from 2021 to 2022, while Brazil's Amazon experienced

Over 200 investors join forces to push for policy action on nature loss

Spring initiative comes ahead of global talks in Colombia in October that aim to accelerate efforts to protect and restore nature

Goa's forest min warns of FIRs for violators of Preservation of Trees Act

Goa Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane on Friday said his department will register first information reports (FIRs) against persons violating the Preservation of Trees Act. People take permission from the deputy conservators of forest from the North and South Goa divisions to fell trees citing some requirements, but end up violating the Preservation of Trees Act, the minister told PTI. "Once they get permission, people go completely against the rules," he said. Rane said directions have been issued to the principal chief conservator of Forest to register FIRs against violators, and the department will come down heavily on them. Rane, who heads the Town and Country Planning (TCP) department, said action will be taken against people involved in illegal landfilling. Several cases of illegal landfilling have been brought to the government's notice, and the department is probing them, he said. The minister said that Bicholim MLA Chandrakant Shetye had recently filed a complaint against th

Forest conservation saw advancement over last 15 year: India informs UNFF

India informed the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) that it has made significant advancements in forest conservation and management, leading to a consistent increase in forest cover over the past 15 years. The country participated in the 19th Session of the UNFF held at the UN headquarters in New York from May 6 to 10. Globally, India ranks third in the net gain in average annual forest area between 2010 and 2020. During the session, India said it gives high priority to biodiversity and wildlife conservation, having expanded the network of protected areas to over a thousand wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, tiger reserves, biosphere reserves, and other wildlife habitats. The recent celebrations marking 50 years of Project Tiger' and 30 years of Project Elephant' underscore India's commitment to species conservation and habitat protection, the environment ministry said in a statement. India also highlighted the creation of the International Big Cat Alliance, a global ...

Delhi HC seeks Centre's stand on deploying forces for protection of forests

The Delhi High Court has sought the Centre's stand on a petition about whether any force can be deployed for the protection of forests in the national capital from illegal activities or encroachments by land grabbers and mafia. The court's direction came on a petition seeking a direction to the Central government to post an adequate number of Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers with the Delhi government's Department of Forests and Wildlife. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, in the reply, said forest officials were facing constant threats from land grabbers and mafia who make rampant encroachment on forest land, and a proposal has been made for engaging the CISF in forest areas. The counsel for the Centre, however, said CISF rules don't permit such deployment. "Counsel for Union of India is directed to take instructions as to whether any other force can be deployed for the protection of forest so as to ensure that no illegal activities or encroachments in the forest area

International Day of Forests 2024: All about importance of greenery in life

World Forest Day 2024 is marked internationally on 21 March 2024. It intends to bring issues to light of the value of forests and their various advantages in our society

Climate change: World's forests are doing much better than we think

The destruction of tropical forests gets so much (justified) attention that we're at risk of missing how much progress we're making in cooler climates.

Leopardess with two cubs roaming Indore Infosys campus: Forest officials

Forest department personnel searching for a leopardess around IT giant Infosys' campus in Indore widened their rescue operation after getting information on Wednesday about the presence of two cubs of the wild cat in a nearby agriculture field, an official said. The wild cat was first spotted on Tuesday between 11 am and 12 pm in the Super Corridor area, where the Infosys' campus is located, prompting the forest department to launch a rescue operation. Later, a local farmer told the forest department he had spotted two leopard cubs in an agriculture field located adjacent to the premises. Indore Forest Divisional Officer (DFO) MS Solanki told PTI, "We have been searching for the leopard since Tuesday in and around the Infosys campus. We were told by a farmer on Wednesday morning that he spotted two leopard cubs in a wheat field adjacent to the compound." According to the DFO, this indicates a female leopard is roaming in the Infosys premises and has kept her cubs in a wheat field .

People who lost lives protecting forests, to get 'Sammaan Nidhi': Chouhan

The CM also urged the people to offer prayers in their respective temples according to their traditions