Indian Economy News

Forest cover increased by 5,516 square kilometres between ISFR 2017 and ISFR 2021

Each year since 1987, the Forest Survey of India (FSI) is assessing forests, and its findings are published in the India State of Forest Report (ISFR). As per the ISFR 2021, the forest cover stood at 708,273 square kilometres, whereas as per ISFR, the total forest cover stood at 713,789 kilometres. Therefore, there is an overall increase in forest cover of the country by 5,516 square kilometres between ISFR 2017 and ISFR 2021. Conservation, afforestation, protection, and the growth of trees outside forest are responsible for the rise in forest cover.

Forests along with hosting villages in the fringe areas, also provide products like timber, fuel-wood, medicinal plants, and others, and also provide services such as biodiversity conservation, watershed protection, and carbon sequestration. 

States and UTs engage in afforestation and tree-planting activities to improve environments and expand the nation's forest cover. Under a number of centrally sponsored programs, such as the Green India Mission, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change offers funding support to States and UTs in order to complement and support their efforts.

Since 2020, the Ministry has been implementing the Nagar Van Yojana (NVY), which calls for the construction of 400 Nagar Vans and 200 Nagar Vatika in the nation between 2020-21 and 2024-25 using money from the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA). The Nagar Van Yojana seeks to increase biological diversity and green space in urban and peri-urban areas, as well as to help the environment and city residents' quality of life.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.