India State of Forest Report, 2023

The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 , published biennially by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) , provides a comprehensive assessment of India's forest and tree resources using remote sensing and field surveys. The latest report highlights:

  • Forest cover growth slowed: Increased by only 156 sq km (2021-23) compared to 1,540 sq km (2019-21) – 90% decline .
  • Tree cover increased by 1,289 sq km (2021-23) , showing a positive trend.
  • Total forest and tree cover: 8,27,357 sq km (25.17% of India’s geographical area) .
    • Forest cover: 7,15,343 sq km (21.76%)
    • Tree cover: 1,12,014 sq km (3.41%)
India State of Forest Report, 2023

Forest Cover in Key Regions

  • Lakshadweep has the highest forest cover percentage (91.33%) , followed by Mizoram (85.34%) and Andaman & Nicobar Islands (81.62%) .
  • 19 states and UTs have forest cover exceeding 33% of their geographical area .
  • 8 states have forest cover over 75% , including Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya .

Western Ghats and Northeast – Areas of Concern

  • Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Area (WGESA): Net forest cover loss of 58.22 sq km in the last decade – a major concern .
  • Northeastern region: Declined by 327.30 sq km , despite having 67% forest cover of its area.

Mangrove and Bamboo Cover

  • Total mangrove cover: 4,991.68 sq km (0.15% of India’s geographical area) .
    • Gains: Andhra Pradesh (+13.01 sq km), Maharashtra (+12.39 sq km) .
    • Losses: Gujarat (-36.39 sq km)
  • Bamboo-bearing area: 154,670 sq km , increased by 5,227 sq km since 2021.
    • Largest gain: Arunachal Pradesh (+2,685 sq km) .
    • Declines: Karnataka (-1,290 sq km), Manipur (-860 sq km) .

Agroforestry and Timber Potential

  • Agroforestry expansion: Green cover under agroforestry reached 127,590.05 sq km – a 20.02% increase over ISFR 2013 .
  • Potential timber production: 91.51 million cubic meters annually (increase of 22.47 million cubic meters since ISFR 2017 ).

Forest Cover in Hill Districts

  • Total forest cover in hill districts: 283,713.20 sq km (40% of geographical area of hill districts) .
  • Increase in hill district forest cover: +234.14 sq km in 2021-23.