India Lost 2.33 Million Hectares (Mha) of Tree Cover since 2000: Global Forest Watch (GFW) | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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India Lost 2.33 Million Hectares (Mha) of Tree Cover since 2000: Global Forest Watch (GFW)

Posted 18 Apr 2024

2 min read

  • This is equivalent to a 6% decrease in tree cover during 2001-2023.
    • Tree cover is an estimated area comprising of tree patches, which are less than 1 hectare and isolated trees outside the recorded forest.
    • Whereas, Forest cover is defined as an area more than 1 hectare in extent and having tree canopy density of 10% and above.

 

  • Other Key Findings
    • Five states, Assam followed by Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur, accounted for 60% of all tree cover loss between 2001- 2023.
    • Between 2001-22, Net Carbon Sink of 89.9 million tons has been observed.
    • Lakshadweep has largest relative plantation area at 76%.

 

  • Drivers of Tree cover loss
    • Deforestation caused 3.3% of tree cover loss occurred from 2001 to 2022.
    • Climate Change fuels extreme heat thereby increase in wildfires and loss of tree cover.
      • As per GFW, Tree cover loss due to fires has been highest in Odisha followed by Arunachal Pradesh (2001-22).

 

  • India’s initiatives to improve Tree cover
    • Green India Mission to increase Forest/Tree Cover to the extent of 5 mha and improve quality of forest/tree cover on another 5 mha of forest/non-forest lands.
    • Nagar Van Yojana to enhance green cover in urban and peri-urban areas.

Global Forest Watch

  • World Resources Institute (WRI) established GFW in 1997. 
  • It is an online platform that provides data and tools for monitoring forests.
  • It allows access to near real-time information about where and how forests are changing around world
  • Tags :
  • Global Forest Watch (GFW)
  • Tree Cover
  • Forest Cover
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