India's forest cover expanded by mere 2.5% in 10 yrs but 'very dense' cover grew 22.7%

NEW DELHI: India's wood screen accrued by simply 2.5% betwixt 2010-11 and 2021-22, but the 'very dense forest' constituent of it grew by 22.7% during the period, indicating effectual regeneration and conservation efforts, claimed the cardinal govt's first-ever dedicated work connected wood accounting.

It recorded a diminution lone successful the 'moderately dense forest' category.Released connected Thursday, the carnal plus accounting showed that wood screen (very dense, moderately dense and unfastened forest) accrued from 6,97,898 sq km successful 2010-11 to 7,15,342 successful 2021-22, adding 17,444 sq km (2.5%) successful 10 years.During the aforesaid 10-year period, 'very dense forest' (VDF) accrued by 19,000 sq km (from 83,502 sq km successful 2010-11 to 1,02,502 sq km successful 2021-22), whereas 'moderately dense forest' (MDF) decreased by 11,071 sq km (from 3,18,745 sq km to 3,07,673 sq km).

The summation was besides reported successful the 'open forest' class from 2,95,651 sq km to 3,05,167 sq km (3.2% increase).All lands with histrion canopy density of 70% and supra travel nether VDF, whereas lands with histrion canopy density of 40% and much but little than 70% are categorised arsenic MDF. Similarly, each lands with histrion canopy density of 10% and much but little than 40% travel nether the 'open forest' category.State-wise information shows the highest summation of 4,137 sq km successful Kerala, followed by 3,122 sq km successful Karnataka and 2,606 sq km successful TN successful the VDF category.

The wood accounting was done by ministry of statistic and programme implementation adopting the UN System of Environmental Economic Accounts (SEEA) Framework which is an agreed planetary model for the compilation of the situation economical accounts from 2018.Besides accounting the wood carnal asset, it besides analysed the 'forest condition' showing the presumption of increasing stock, c stock, economical worth and presumption of regeneration. The work claimed the information of forests has improved successful presumption of biomass and c storage, with reduced terrible degradation indicating amended wood health. It, however, underlined that the "declining regeneration and rising occurrence risks" item vulnerabilities successful wood conditions that request urgent attention.