India State of Forest Report (ISFR): an overview

Context:

• The India State of Forest Report (ISFR), 2017 has been recently released.

Background:

• 12^th February, 2018: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released the India State of Forest Report (ISFR), 2017 and it is 15^thsuch report in the series.

Know more about Forest Survey of India 

• The spatial information given in the report is based on interpretation of LISS-III data from Indian Remote Sensing satellite data (Resourcesat-II).
• Satellite data for the entire country was procured from NRSC for the period October, 2015 – February, 2016.
• The satellite data interpretation is verified by ground truthing.

The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2017 covers:

• Forest for sixteen States/ UTs within and outside the recorded forest areas,
• Information on forest for 633 districts, using updated district boundaries and Open Series Maps from Survey of India (as per Census 2001),
• Water bodies in the forests over a period of ten years (2005-2015),
• Real time monitoring of forest fire,
• Burnt area assessment,
• Pre fire alerts,
• Annual potential production of timber from Trees outside Forest (TOF),
• Total extent of bamboo areas and net stock of bamboo at the state and national level, and
• Carbon stock in India’s Forests at State Level.

 India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2017 is useful in the following ways:

• Source of information for:
  • policy makers,
  • planners,
  • State Forest Departments,
  • line agencies involved in various developmental works,
  • academicians,
  • civil society and
  • others interested in natural resource conservation and management.
• It will also help to:
• Understand the changing dynamics of forest cover, mangroves and bamboo areas within and outside the recorded forest area,
• Understand the role of forests in maintaining hydrological balance and river flows,
• Curb forest fires and its underpinnings, and
• Analyse and develop strategies for achieving the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) target.

Key findings of the report:

(Positive changes)

Forest and Tree Cover:

• Forest and Tree Cover of the country has increased by 8,021 sq km (1 %) as compared to assessment of 2015.

Very dense forest:

• The very dense forest has increased by 36 % as compared to last assessment.
• Forest cover has increased in:
  • Andhra Pradesh (2,141 sqkms),
  • Karnataka (1,101 sqkms),
  • Kerala (1,043 sqkms),
  • Odisha (885 sqkms) and
  • Telangana (565 sqkms).

Water bodies:

• Water bodies inside forest cover have increased by 2,647 sqkms during the last decade.
• States showing increase in water bodies within forest areas:
  • Maharashtra (432 sqkms),
  • Gujarat (428 sqkms),
  • Madhya Pradesh (389 sqkms).

Water conservation:

• State Forest Departments have also undertaken steps to improve water conservation through different interventions such as building Check dams, vegetation barriers, percolation ponds, contour trenches etc. under various Central & State Government schemes.

Mangrove cover:

• Mangrove forests have increased by 181 sqkms.
• States showing increase in terms of mangrove cover:
  • Maharashtra (82 sqkms),
  • Andhra Pradesh (37 sqkms) and
  • Gujarat (33 sqkms).
  • Please note: Mangroves play a major role in protecting coastal areas from erosion, tidal storms and tsunamis.

Nationally Determined Contributions:

• India is striving towards achieving its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) goal of creating additional carbon sink of 5 to 3.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.

Carbon stock:

• The total carbon stock in the country’s forest is estimated to be 7,082 million tonnes.

(Negative changes)

• Forests in most of the biodiversity-rich north-eastern part of the country have been contracting continuously over the last few years.
• Forest cover has decreased in:
  • Mizoram (531 sq km),
  • Nagaland (450 sq km),
  • Arunachal Pradesh (190 sq km),
  • Tripura (164 sq km) and
  • Meghalaya (116 sq km).
• It is important to mention here that these states are in the North Eastern region of the country where the total forest cover is very high i.e. more than 70% in each state.

Reasons behind the increase of forest and tree cover are:

• The national policies,
• Agro-forestry practices,
• Better conservation of forests,
• Improvement of scrub areas to forest areas,
• Increase in mangrove cover,
• Conservation and
• Protection activities have also led to increase in the forest and tree cover and
• Green Highways (Plantations & Maintenance) Policy
• Please note: Green Highways (Plantations & Maintenance) Policy aims develop 1, 40,000 km long tree line with plantation along with both sides of national highways.

Reasons behind the decrease of forest and tree cover are:

• Shifting cultivation,
• Other biotic pressures,
• Rotational felling,
• Diversion of forest lands for developmental activities,
• Submergence of forest cover,
• Agriculture expansion and
• Natural disasters.

Conclusion:

• Thus, the report serves as rightful guide to acknowledge the overall scenario of the country’s forest covers and its related dimensions.