How many square kilometers of forest does India have
India's total forest and tree cover has grown to 827,357 square kilometers, which is 25.17% of the country's geographical area. The information comes from the State of Forest report 2023, released by the Forest Survey of India (FSI). The last edition was published in 2021. The current forest cover is around 715,343 square kilometers, or 21.76% of India's area, with tree cover contributing 112,014 square kilometers, or 3.41%.
Chhattisgarh leads in forest and tree cover increase
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) found that Chhattisgarh is the state with the highest increase in forest and tree cover, growing by 684 square kilometers. Uttar Pradesh and Odisha followed with 559 square kilometers each, and Rajasthan with 394 square kilometers. In terms of growth of only forest cover, Mizoram topped with an increase of 242 square kilometers.
Madhya Pradesh holds largest forest and tree cover
Madhya Pradesh has the largest area of forest and tree cover in India, at 85,724 sq km. It is followed by Arunachal Pradesh (67,083 sq km) and Maharashtra (65,383 sq km). India's carbon stock now stands at 30.43 billion tons of CO2 equivalent, the report added. Since 2005, India has added a carbon sink of 2.29 billion tons, close to its target range of adding between 2.5 to 3.0 billion tons by 2030 under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
State of Forest report 2023 expands assessment scope
The report also brings new analyses on areas facing deforestation and a chapter on the contribution of agroforestry to forest and tree cover. The assessment now includes data from 751 districts, a major jump from the previous reports' coverage of 636 districts. FSI, an organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, has carried out the assessment of forest cover biennially since 1987, and the findings are published in the India State of Forest Report (ISFR).
