Environment · 8 minutes read
The Forest Survey of India (FSI), under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, publishes the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) every two years. First released in 1987, the ISFR 2023 is the 18th edition. It helps in monitoring resources, evaluating policies, planning forestry interventions, and fulfilling international commitments such as NDC targets, GHG inventories to UNFCCC, and FAO reporting.
ISFR is based mainly on:
- Forest Cover Mapping: land ≥1 hectare with canopy density ≥10% → categorized into Very Dense, Moderately Dense, and Open Forests. It utilises satellite data with field verification.
- National Forest Inventory (NFI): launched in 2002 (revised in 2016) → collects field data on forests and Trees Outside Forests (TOF), providing estimates on growing stock, bamboo stock, carbon stock, and agroforestry, etc.
ISFR 2023 has been produced in two volumes:
- Vol. I: National-level assessments such as forest cover, mangroves, forest fires, growing stock, carbon stock, agroforestry, and decadal change.
- Vol. II: State/UT, district, and division-wise details derived from the field inventory.
Common abbreviations used in this article include:
- GA: Geographical Area
- GW: Green Wash
- RFA: Recorded Forest Area
- TOF: Trees Outside Forests
Quick Takeaways
The key findings of the ISFR 2023 are as follows:
- Forest and Tree Cover of India: 25.17% of GA → Forest Cover is 21.76%, whereas Tree Cover is 3.41% → Both FC & TC have increased from 2021.
- Max increase in Forest and Tree Cover: Chhattisgarh > UP > Odisha
- Max decrease in Forest and Tree Cover: MP > Karnataka > Ladakh
- Max increase in Forest Cover inside RFA/GW was noticed in Mizoram, whereas max decrease was noticed in Tripura.
- Max increase in Forest Cover outside RFA was noticed in Gujarat, whereas max decrease was noticed in MP.
- Extent of TOF (forest cover outside the RFA & GW and Tree Cover): 30.70 M ha → 37.11% of total Forest and Tree Cover.
- Max Tree Cover (Area): Maharashtra > Rajasthan > UP
- Max +ve change (compared to 2021) in Tree Cover area: Chhattisgarh > Rajasthan > UP
- 21 States/UTs witnessed increase in tree cover → indicates agroforestry practices
- Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Areas (WGESA) occupy nearly 60k sq km → Forest Cover of WGESA is nearly 73% → WGESA lost nearly 58.22 sq km of its Forest Cover during last 10 years (2013-2023).
- Forest Cover in hill districts: 40% of GA (increased from 2021)
- Forest and Tree Cover in the North Eastern region: 67% of GA (decreased from 2021)
- Mangrove cover of India: 4,991.68 sq km → 0.15 % of India’s GA (decreased from 2021).
- Max forest fire incidences (2023-24): Uttrarakhand > Odisha > Chhattisgarh.
- Growing stock: Arunachal Pradesh > Uttarakhand
- Growing Stock Density: J & K > A&N > Himachal Pradesh
- Bamboo Bearing Area: 1,54,670 sq km (increased from 2021) → MP > Arunachal Pradesh → max increase in Arunachal Pradesh, max decrease in Karnataka.
- Tree green cover under Agroforestry: nearly 128k sq km (~20% increase from 2013) → max growing stock in agroforestry in Maharashtra.
- Top two prevalent species in agroforestry: Mangifera indica (Mango) > Azadirachta indica (Neem)
- Carbon Stock: 7,285.5 Mt or 30.43 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (increased from 2021) → Soil organic carbon (55%) is largest pool of forest carbon.
- Max Carbon Stock: Arunachal Pradesh > MP; Max Carbon Stock Density: J&K > Sikkim
- Additional carbon sink: India has reached 2.29 billion tonnes of additional carbon sink (close to the target of 2.5-3.0 billion tonnes by 2030 from 2005 levels).
- 19 states/UTs have >33% of GA under forest cover.
- 8 states/UTs have forest cover >75% → Mizoram, Lakshadweep, A & N, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Manipur.
National Snapshot (ISFR 2023)
General Overview
| Indicator | India (2023) | % of Geographical Area | Change from 2021 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Cover (FC) | 7,15,343 km² | 21.76 | ⬆️ | FC: land ≥1 hectare with ≥10% tree canopy. |
| Tree Cover (TC) | 1,12,014 km² | 3.41 | ⬆️ | TC: patches outside Recorded Forest Area, exclusive of forest cover, and <1 hectare in extent. |
| FC + TC | 8,27,357 km² | 25.17 | ⬆️ | First time >25% of GA in the history of ISFR. |
| Scrub Area | 43,622.6 km² | 1.33 | 🔻 | Defined as land with canopy density <10% and area ≥1 hectare. |
| Mangroves | 4,992 km² | 0.15 | 🔻 (–7.4 km²) | Found in 13 States/UTs (9 States + 4 UTs). |
| Bamboo | 1.55 lakh km² | 4.7 | ⬆️ | 21.7% of India’s Forest Cover |
| Carbon Stock | 7,285.5 million tonnes (in forests) | — | ⬆️ | Defined as carbon in all living and non-living biomass. |
| Type | Share |
|---|---|
| Tropical Dry Deciduous | ~44% |
| Tropical Moist Deciduous | ~21% |
| Montane/Alpine | ~11% |
| Others | ~24% |
Forest Cover Classes in India
| Category | Canopy Density | Area Criterion | Included in “Total Forest Cover”? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very Dense Forest (VDF) | ≥ 70% | ≥ 1 ha | Yes |
| Moderately Dense Forest (MDF) | 40–70% | ≥ 1 ha | Yes |
| Open Forest (OF) | 10–40% | ≥ 1 ha | Yes |
| Scrub | < 10% | ≥ 1 ha | No (reported separately) |
| Total Forest Cover (FC) | ≥ 10% | ≥ 1 ha | = VDF + MDF + OF |
Carbon Pools in India
| Carbon Pool (can either accumulate or release carbon) | % Share of Total Carbon Stock |
|---|---|
| Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) | 55.06 |
| Above Ground Biomass | 32.69 |
| Below Ground Biomass | 10.09 |
| Litter | 1.48 |
| Deadwood | 0.78 |
Fire Proneness of Indian Forests (ISFR 2023)
| Fire-Prone Class | % of India’s Forest Cover + Scrub | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Extremely fire-prone | 1.45% | NE & Himalayan pockets |
| Very highly fire-prone | 9.89% | Central & Eastern India belts |
| Highly fire-prone | 16.63% | Large deciduous tracts |
| Moderately fire-prone | 15.22% | Transitional zones |
| Less fire-prone | 56.81% | Majority of forests |
| Total | 100% | 11.34% of India’s forests are in the “extremely to very highly fire-prone” class. |
Indian State/UT Level Trends (ISFR 2023)
General Overview
| Category | Top States/UTs | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Forest Cover (Area) | MP > Arunachal Pradesh > Chhattisgarh | Top 3 States = ~30.5% of India’s forests |
| Forest Cover as % of Geographical Area (GA) | Lakshadweep (91.33%) > Mizoram (85.34%) > A & N | Max gain: Mizoram; Max loss: MP |
| Tree Cover (% of GA) | Chandigarh > Delhi > Kerala | Max gain: Chhattisgarh; Max loss: Punjab |
| Tree Cover (Area) | Maharashtra > Rajasthan > UP | |
| (FC+TC) % | Lakshadweep (92.00%) > Mizoram (88.03%) > A & N | Max gain: Chhattisgarh; Max loss: MP |
| RFA as % of GA. | Mizoram > Odisha > Karnataka | a. Puducherry & Lakshadweep have zero RFA. b. Among States, Haryana (3.53% of GA) has the lowest RFA. |
| Scrub Area | Andhra Pradesh > Rajasthan | |
| Bamboo (% Share of National Bamboo Area) | MP > Arunachal Pradesh > Maharashtra | Max gain: Arunachal Pradesh; Max loss: Karnataka |
| Carbon Stock | Arunachal Pradesh > MP > Chhattisgarh | Carbon Stock Density: J&K > Sikkim > Himachal Pradesh |
States/UTs with Mangroves
| Rank | State/UT | % Share of India’s Total Mangrove Cover (2023) | Change from 2021 (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Bengal | 42.45% | ⬆️ |
| 2 | Gujarat | 23.32% | 🔻 (Max loss) |
| 3 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 12.19% | 🔻 |
| 4 | Andhra Pradesh | 8.44% | ⬆️ (Max gain) |
| 5 | Maharashtra | 6.31% | ⬆️ |
| 6 | Odisha | 5.19% | ⬆️ |
| 7 | Tamil Nadu | 0.84% | NA |
| 8 | Goa | 0.63% | ⬆️ |
| 9 | Karnataka | 0.28% | ⬆️ |
| 10 | Kerala | 0.19% | ⬆️ |
| 11 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu | 0.08% | ⬆️ |
| 12 | Puducherry | 0.08% | ⬆️ |
| NA | Lakshadweep | Present but below measurable limits. | NA |
Top 3 States by Number of Forest Fire Detections in 2023-24
| Rank | State |
|---|---|
| 1 | Uttarakhand |
| 2 | Odisha |
| 3 | Chhattisgarh |
Top 3 States by Percentage of Forest Area in “Extremely Fire-Prone” Class
| Rank | State |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tripura (~9%) |
| 2 | Telangana (~6%) |
| 3 | Bihar (~4%) |
Forest Cover of Indian Mega Cities (ISFR 2023)
| City | % of GA Under Forest |
|---|---|
| Mumbai | 25.4% |
| Hyderabad | 12.7% |
| Delhi | 12.6% |
| Bengaluru | 6.9% |
| Chennai (Max loss) | 4.7% |
| Ahmedabad (Max gain) | 3.27% |
| Kolkata | 1.1% |
Global Snapshot (ISFR 2023)
General Overview
| Category | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Global Average Forest Cover | 31% of GA | India’s forest cover (21.76%) is below global average |
| Asia Average | 19% of GA | a. India’s forest cover (21.76%) is above Asia average b. Asia holds 15% of world forests |
| India’s Global Rank in Forest Cover | 10th | a. Top 3: Russia (20%) > Brazil > Canada b. India holds 2% of world forests |
| Annual net gain in Forest Cover (2010–2020) | +0.27 Mha/yr | India ranks 3rd after China and Australia |
| Mangroves (Globally) | 14.7 Mha | a. Asia holds ~38% of world mangroves b. India holds nearly 3% of world mangroves |
Forest Area by Region
| Rank | Region | % of World Forests |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Europe + Russia | 25% |
| 2 | South America | 21% |
| 3 | North & Central America | 19% |
| 4 | Africa | 16% |
| 5 | Asia | 15% |
| 6 | Oceania | 5% |
Top 10 Countries by Forest Area
| Rank | Country | % of Global Forest Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | 20% |
| 2 | Brazil | 12% |
| 3 | Canada | 9% |
| 4 | USA | 8% |
| 5 | China | 5% |
| 6 | Australia | 3% |
| 7 | DR Congo | 3% |
| 8 | Indonesia | 2% |
| 9 | Peru | 2% |
| 10 | India | 2% |
Mangrove Regions – Global Forest Resources Assessment (FAO FRA 2020)
| Region | % of Global Mangroves | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Asia | ~38 | a. South and Southeast Asia alone accounts for ~36% b. India holds >3% of global mangroves |
| Africa | ~22 | Mainly Western and Central Africa |
| North and Central America | ~17 | Mainly Amazon |
| South America | ~14 | |
| Oceania | ~9 | |
| WORLD | 100 | Global mangrove area diminished every decade between 1990 and 2020. |
ISFR 2023 underlines both achievements and challenges in India’s forest landscape. While the overall tree resource base is expanding, largely due to trees outside forests (TOF) and plantations, concerns remain over forest degradation, fire vulnerability, and scrub expansion.
The report highlights the urgent need for sustainable forest management, community involvement, and ecological restoration, especially in vulnerable regions such as the North-East, Himalayas, and coastal mangroves.
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