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Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental resource. India is one of the ten most forest-rich countries of the world. Together, India and 9 other countries account for 67 percent of the total forest area of the world.[1] India's forest cover grew at 0.20% annually over 1990–2000,[2] and has grown at the rate of 0.7% per year over 2000–2010,[2] after decades where forest degradation was a matter of serious concern.[3]
As of 2010, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates India's forest cover to be about 68 million hectares, or 22% of the country's area[4][5] The 2013 Forest Survey of India states its forest cover increased to 69.8 million hectares by 2012, per satellite measurements; this represents an increase of 5,871 square kilometers of forest cover in 2 years.[6] However, the gains were primarily in northern, central and southern Indian states, while northeastern states witnessed a net loss in forest cover over 2010 to 2012. In 2018, the total forest and tree cover in India increased to 24.39% or 8,02,088 km2.[7][8] It increased further to 24.56 percent or 807,276 square kilometres in 2019.[9]
Unless India makes major, rapid and sustained effort to expand electricity generation and power plants, the rural and urban poor in India will continue to have to meet their energy needs through unsustainable destruction of forests and fuel wood consumption. India's dependence on fuel-wood and forestry products as a primary energy source is not only environmentally unsustainable, it is a primary cause of India's near-permanent haze and air pollution.[10][11]
Forestry in India is more than just about wood and fuel. India has a thriving non-wood forest products industry, which produces latex, gums, resins, essential oils, flavours, fragrances and aroma chemicals, incense sticks, handicrafts, thatching materials and medicinal plants. About 60% of non-wood forest products production is consumed locally. About 50% of the total revenue from the forestry industry in India is in non-wood forest products category.[3]
- ^ Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010, FAO Forestry Paper 163, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2011), ISBN 978-92-5-106654-6, page 12-13
- ^ a b Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010, FAO Forestry Paper 163, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2011), ISBN 978-92-5-106654-6, page 21
- ^ a b "Forests and the forestry sector: India". Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. 2002. Archived from the original on 12 April 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
- ^ Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010, FAO Forestry Paper 163, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2011), ISBN 978-92-5-106654-6, Annex 3, Table 2
- ^ India State of Forest Report 2011, Forest Survey of India (2011), pages 4-5, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India.
- ^ State of Forest Report 2013 Ministry of Forests and Environment, Govt of India (2014)
- ^ "India's forest, tree cover up by 1% in 2 years: Centre". The Hindu. 12 February 2018.
- ^ "State of Forest Report says that India's forest and tree cover has increased by 1 percent". Mongabay-India. 16 February 2018.
- ^ Mayank Aggarwal (3 January 2020). "India's forest cover is rising but northeast and tribal areas lose". Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ^ "The Asian Brown Cloud: Climate and Other Environmental Impacts" (PDF). United Nations Environmental Programme. 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 May 2012.
- ^ "Indoor air pollution and household energy". WHO and UNEP. 2011.