Lok Sabha Question No. 2105 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-09
Subject: Effects of Climate Change
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Arun Bharti, Shri Adhikari Deepak Dev

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2105

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.12.2024

## Effects of Climate Change

## 2105.   SHRI ADHIKARI DEEPAK DEV: SHRI ARUN BHARTI:

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

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any study in recent times on the rate of deforestation  in  the  country,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the Government has conducted any study to monitor the effect of climate change  on  traditional  forest  dwellers,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the reasons therefor;
- (c) the details of measures taken by the Government to balance economic growth with the climate goals, especially given its dependence on coal and the needs of its growing population; and
- (d) the manner in which the Government intends to finance its climate commitments and  the  details  of  the  role  expected  from  International  partners  to  play  in supporting its transition?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

- (a) Forest Forest  Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, an organization under the Ministry carries out the assessment of forest cover biennially. As per latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, the total forest cover of the country is 7,13,789 square kilometer showing an overall increase of 1540 square kilometer of forest cover at the national level as compared to the previous assessment i.e. ISFR 2019. There is no decreasing trend in forest cover of the country. The details of State and Union Territory wise forest cover are given in Annexure. An increase in  the  forest  cover  may  be  attributed  to  better  conservation  measures, restoration of degraded forest lands, implementation of afforestation programmes  and  tree  plantation  drives.  The  loss  forest  cover  in  some States/UTs may be due to reasons such as natural calamities, anthropogenic pressure, shifting cultivation etc.
- (b) The Ministry has not conducted any specific study to monitor the effect of climate change on traditional forest dwellers.
- ((c) and (d) The  National  Action  Plan  on  Climate  Change  (NAPCC)  provides  the overarching  framework  for  all  climate  actions  and  comprises  missions  in

specific areas of solar energy, enhanced energy efficiency, sustainable habitat, water, sustaining Himalayan ecosystems, Green India, sustainable agriculture, human health and strategic knowledge for climate change. All these Missions are institutionalized and implemented by their respective nodal Ministries/Departments,  including  allocation  of  funds  under  their  relevant schemes as a part of their annual budgetary allocations.

To reduce dependence on coal, the government has taken several measures to increase non-fossil fuel based energy sources. As of October 2024, the share of non-fossil fuel-based energy sources in the installed capacity of electricity generation is 46.52 percent. India is, therefore, on track to achieve its target of  50  percent  cumulative  electric  power  installed  capacity  from  non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.

India's  climate  actions  across  various  sectors  are  embedded  in  various programmes and schemes. Further, India engages with the financial mechanism of the UNFCCC and various multilateral institutions to finance its climate  action.  However,  the  finance  received  so  far  through  international sources is very limited.

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## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2105   due for answer on 09.12.2024 regarding 'Effects of Climate Change'

State and Union Territory wise details of forest cover as per ISFR 2021

(Area in square kilometre)

| S. No.   | State/UTs                            | State/UTs                            | Graphical Area (GA)   | Total Forest Cover   | Change in ForestCover w.r.t ISFR 2019   |
|----------|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|-----------------------|----------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh                       | Andhra Pradesh                       | 1,62,968              | 29,784               | 647                                     |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh                    | Arunachal Pradesh                    | 83,743                | 66,431               | -257                                    |
| 3        | Assam                                | Assam                                | 78,438                | 28,312               | -15                                     |
| 4        | Bihar                                | Bihar                                | 94,163                | 7,381                | 75                                      |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh                         | Chhattisgarh                         | 1,35,192              | 55,717               | 106                                     |
| 6        | Delhi                                | Delhi                                | 1,483                 | 195.00               | -0.44                                   |
| 7        | Goa                                  | Goa                                  | 3,702                 | 2,244                | 7                                       |
| 8        | Gujarat                              | Gujarat                              | 1,96,244              | 14,926               | 69                                      |
| 9        | Haryana                              | Haryana                              | 44,212                | 1,603                | 1                                       |
| 10       | Himachal Pradesh                     | Himachal Pradesh                     | 55,673                | 15,443               | 9                                       |
| 11       | Jharkhand                            | Jharkhand                            | 79,716                | 23,721               | 110                                     |
| 12       | Karnataka                            | Karnataka                            | 1,91,791              | 38,730               | 155                                     |
| 13       | Kerala                               | Kerala                               | 38,852                | 21,253               | 109                                     |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh                       | Madhya Pradesh                       | 3,08,252              | 77,493               | 11                                      |
| 15       | Maharashtra                          | Maharashtra                          | 3,07,713              | 50,798               | 20                                      |
| 16       | Manipur                              | Manipur                              | 22,327                | 16,598               | -249                                    |
| 17       | Meghalaya                            | Meghalaya                            | 22,429                | 17,046               | -73                                     |
| 18       | Mizoram                              | Mizoram                              | 21,081                | 17,820               | -186                                    |
| 19       | Nagaland                             | Nagaland                             | 16,579                | 12,251               | -235                                    |
| 20       | Odisha                               | Odisha                               | 1,55,707              | 52,156               | 537                                     |
| 21       | Punjab                               | Punjab                               | 50,362                | 1,847                | -2                                      |
| 22       | Rajasthan                            | Rajasthan                            | 3,42,239              | 16,655               | 25                                      |
| 23       | Sikkim                               | Sikkim                               | 7,096                 | 3,341                | -1                                      |
| 24       | Tamil Nadu                           | Tamil Nadu                           | 1,30,060              | 26,419               | 55                                      |
| 25       | Telangana                            | Telangana                            | 1,12,077              | 21,214               | 632                                     |
| 26       | Tripura                              | Tripura                              | 10,486                | 7,722                | -4                                      |
| 27       | Uttar Pradesh                        | Uttar Pradesh                        | 2,40,928              | 14,818               | 12                                      |
| 28       | Uttarakhand                          | Uttarakhand                          | 53,483                | 24,305               | 2                                       |
| 29       | West Bengal                          | West Bengal                          | 88,752                | 16,832               | -70                                     |
| 30       | A & N Islands                        | A & N Islands                        | 8,249                 | 6,744                | 1                                       |
| 31       | Chandigarh                           | Chandigarh                           | 114                   | 22.88                | 0.85                                    |
| 32       | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 602                   | 227.75               | 0.10                                    |
| 33       | Jammu & Kashmi                       | Shape file Area (54,624)             | 2,22,236              | 21,387               | 29                                      |
| 34       | Ladakh                               | Shape fileArea (1,68,055)            |                       | 2,272                | 18                                      |
| 35       | Lakshadweep                          | Lakshadweep                          | 30                    | 27.10                | 0.00                                    |
| 36       | Puducherry                           | Puducherry                           | 490                   | 53.30                | 0.89                                    |
|          | Total                                | Total                                | 32,87,469             | 7,13,789             | 1,540                                   |