Lok Sabha Question No. 418 (STARRED), answered on 2018-03-23
Subject: Forest Cover
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: RAJENDRA AGRAWAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.  418*

TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.03.2018

## Forest Cover

## *418.   SHRI RAJENDRA AGRAWAL:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether  India's  forest  cover  has  registered  an  increase  as  per  the  latest  India  State  of Forest Report and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  increase  in  forest  cover  is  mainly  due  to  the  fact  that  the  survey  records plantations  as  forests  which  contribute  little  to  ecological  sustainability  and  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (c) whether despite the increase in forest cover, the capacity of such forest cover to absorb carbon dioxide has significantly reduced; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

(a) to (d) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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Statement referred to in reply to part (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 418 by Shri Rajendra Agrawal due for reply on 23.03.2018 regarding 'Forest Cover'.

- (a) Yes, Sir.  Forest  Survey  of India, Dehradun, a subordinate organization under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, carries out the assessment of forest cover of the country biennially and the findings are published in India State of Forest Report (ISFR). As per  the  latest  report  i.e.  ISFR-  2017,  the  total  forest  and  tree  cover  of  the  country  is 8,02,088 square kilometers which is 24.39% of the total geographical area of the country. It  shows  an  increase  of  8021  square  kilometers  over  the figure as  per  the  India  State  of Forest Report 2015 (updated).  The increase in forest cover is 6,778 square kilometer and increase in tree cover is 1,243 square kilometer compared to ISFR 2015.
- (b)      Definition of 'forest cover' used in ISFR 2017 is 'All lands, more than one hectare in area, with  a  tree  canopy  density  of  more  than  10  percent  irrespective  of  ownership  and  legal status. Such lands may not necessarily be a recorded forest area. It also includes orchards, bamboo and palm'. As per the definition of 'forest cover' adopted in the ISFR, plantations both on forest land and non forest land having crown density of 10% or above would be classified  as  forest  cover.  The  changes  in  forest  cover  reported  in  ISFR  2017  are attributable to both increases within and outside forest land. Beside increase in forest cover, significant improvements in canopy cover have also been observed as very dense forest has increased by 9,525 square kilometer compared to previous report.
- (c) & (d)   The carbon stock in forest as per the latest ISFR 2017 is estimated to be 7,082 million tones which is an increase of 38 million tons as compared to the carbon stock reported in ISFR2015. Hence, the capacity of absorbing CO2 has gone up with increase in forest cover.

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