Table of Contents
1. Introduction
India’s forest and tree cover is vital for its ecological infrastructure, maintaining environmental balance, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation. As the world’s seventh-largest country by land area and second-most populous nation, India’s management of its forest resources has significant implications for global environmental sustainability. This research comprehensively analyses India’s forest and tree cover distribution across its various states and union territories. It examines the spatial patterns through three distinct yet interconnected dimensions: absolute area coverage, contribution to national coverage, and percentage of geographical area covered. Tree cover refers to the total land area covered by trees, irrespective of whether these trees belong to a forest ecosystem. In contrast, forest cover specifically denotes land covered by a forest ecosystem characterized by a tree canopy density exceeding 10% and an area greater than 1 hectare. Thus, while all forest cover is tree cover, not all tree cover qualifies as forest cover.
The Green India Mission (GIM) is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). It focuses on protecting, restoring, and enhancing India’s forest cover while addressing climate change. This mission aims to increase forest and tree cover across 10 million hectares of forest and non-forest lands and to improve the quality of existing forests. Under this Centrally Sponsored Scheme, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change supports States and Union Territories in undertaking afforestation activities. Enhancing tree cover is essential for carbon sequestration, contributing to India’s efforts to bolster its carbon stock and meet international commitments to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
India has a complex mosaic of green coverage that varies significantly across its geographically and climatically diverse regions. This study aims to unravel these variations by moving beyond conventional single-metric assessments to embrace a multi-dimensional analytical framework. This approach enables a more nuanced understanding of how different regions contribute to and maintain their green cover, considering both quantitative extent and relative efficiency. The significance of this research lies in its potential to inform evidence-based policymaking and regional environmental planning. Examining forest and tree cover through multiple lenses provides insights into both the absolute scale of forest resources and the relative effectiveness of different regions in maintaining their green cover. This understanding is pivotal for developing targeted interventions and region-specific forest conservation and enhancement strategies.
This research addresses several key questions:
1. How does the distribution of forest and tree cover vary in absolute terms across India’s states and union territories?
2. What is the relative contribution of different regions to India’s total forest and tree cover?
3. How effectively do different regions maintain their green cover relative to their geographical area?
2. Data & Methodology
This descriptive research employed a comprehensive methodological approach to analyze India’s forest and tree cover distribution using official data from the Forest Report 2021, published by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. For spatial distribution analysis, the data was systematically organized and categorized across all 28 states and eight union territories of India. This study considered three key metrics: First, the absolute area under forest and tree cover was measured in square kilometres, providing a baseline understanding of the quantitative extent of green cover. Second, the percentage contribution to national coverage was calculated to understand each region’s relative importance in India’s overall forest and tree cover. Third, the percentage of geographical area covered was computed to assess how effectively each region maintains its green cover relative to its size. The spatial distribution analysis involved creating detailed visualizations that mapped these three dimensions across India’s political boundaries. This approach allowed for identifying regional patterns, clusters of high and low-coverage areas, and the relationship between geographical features and forest distribution.
3. Results
As per Forest Report 2021, India’s total forest cover was 713,789 sq km. Among the 28 states and 8 union territories of India, Madhya Pradesh ranked first in the list of states/UTs with maximum forest coverage by area with 77,493 sq km (10.86%), followed by Arunachal Pradesh (66,431 sq km, 9.31%) and Chhattisgarh (55,717 sq km, 7.81%), collectively accounting for nearly 28% of the national forest cover. Maharashtra (50,798 sq km, 7.12%) and Odisha (52,156 sq km, (7.31%) also made substantial contributions to this list, each hosting over 50,000 sq km of forests. The percentage of a state’s geographical area under forest cover offers more profound insights into conservation effectiveness. Northeastern states more or less excelled in this particular metric. Mizoram recorded 84.53% of its state’s geographical area under forest cover, followed by Arunachal Pradesh (79.33%), Meghalaya (76%), Manipur (74.34%), and Nagaland (73.9%). Similarly, the union territories of Lakshadweep (90.33%) and Andaman & Nicobar Islands (81.75%) also showed remarkable forest coverage. These figures highlight the success of conservation initiatives in these regions.
Fig: 1
India’s tree coverage at the national level was 95,748 sq km. The most extensive tree coverage in the nation was found in Maharashtra (12,108 sq km), followed by Madhya Pradesh (8,054 sq km) and Rajasthan (8,733 sq km). Despite lower forest cover, states like Rajasthan and Karnataka also performed well in this metric, suggesting effective agroforestry and urban forestry initiatives. In terms of percentage contribution to the national tree coverage, Maharashtra (12.65%), Rajasthan (9.12%), and Madhya Pradesh (8.41%) emerged as one of the best states in the country along with Karnataka (7.83%) and Uttar Pradesh (7.75%). In terms of the proportion of a state’s territorial area covered by trees, urban territories like Chandigarh (13.16%) and Delhi (9.91%) also fared well, whereas, among states, Kerala led with 7.26%, followed by Goa (6.59%) and Jammu & Kashmir (6.43%), showcasing successful urban and peri-urban greening programs.
Fig: 2
While northeastern states consistently outperformed national averages in terms of the percentage of areas covered by forest, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra emerged as one of the best states in terms of absolute coverage. Additionally, Island territories also demonstrated exceptional conservation success. While Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Karnataka led in absolute terms, urban centres like Chandigarh and Delhi set benchmarks in percentage terms for tree coverage. Kerala and Goa demonstrated successful regional strategies by striking a good balance across metrics. However, the percentage of areas covered by forests in some regions, like Punjab (3.67%), Haryana (3.63%), Rajasthan (4.87%), Uttar Pradesh (6.15%), Gujarat (7.61%), and Bihar (7.84%), fell below the national average, which requires urgent interventions. States like West Bengal (18.96%), Telangana (18.93%), Andhra Pradesh (18.3%) and Maharashtra (16.5%) also require moderate improvement. Similarly, despite having a significant amount of forest coverage, Himachal Pradesh (1.21%), Uttarakhand (1.87%), Arunachal Pradesh (1.2%), Manipur (0.76%), Ladakh (0.57%) and Sikkim (0.55%) need enhanced tree cover efforts.
Fig: 3
Even though the northeastern region did exceptionally well in terms of forest coverage, more attention needs to be paid to tree coverage in the country. While western India trailed in terms of forest coverage despite moderate tree coverage success, central India performed reasonably well across both metrics. The northern plains need comprehensive improvement in both dimensions. Urban territories like Chandigarh and Delhi have achieved notable success in tree coverage but lack significant forest coverage. To overcome these obstacles, customised strategies are required. While tree cover programs should target the northeast and Himalayan regions, states with less than 20% geographical coverage should concentrate on forest coverage enhancement. An integrated strategy combining forest conservation with tree plantation drives, alongside regional cooperation and knowledge-sharing between high- and low-performing states, can ensure balanced and sustainable progress in India’s forest and tree cover management.
4. Conclusion
There are several key policy interventions that can be implemented to enhance India’s forest and tree coverage based on the insights this study has produced. First, region-specific approaches to forest conservation and expansion are essential, considering the varying baseline conditions and challenges different states face. For states with high absolute forest cover but lower relative coverage, policies should focus on protecting and conserving existing forests while identifying expansion opportunities. Second, the success of northeastern states in maintaining high proportional coverage offers valuable lessons for other regions, particularly in terms of community engagement and traditional forest management practices. Third, the significant tree cover in urban territories like Chandigarh and Delhi demonstrates the potential for urban forestry initiatives to contribute meaningfully to overall green coverage. Fourth, states with both low absolute and relative coverage require targeted interventions, possibly including incentive schemes for afforestation and stricter regulations against deforestation. Finally, the data suggests the need for integrated approaches that consider both forest and tree cover in environmental planning, recognizing their complementary roles in ecological sustainability.
This research has several limitations. First, the static nature of the data provides a snapshot view. As a result, it does not capture temporal changes in forest and tree cover, which could be valuable for understanding trends and the effectiveness of past interventions. Second, the quality and density of forest cover must be fully reflected in the measurements, potentially masking significant variations in forest health and ecological value. Third, the study does not account for the type of forest (natural vs. planted) or tree species composition, which significantly affects biodiversity and ecosystem services. Fourth, socio-economic factors influencing forest cover, such as population density, economic development, and land-use pressures, are not directly incorporated into the analysis. Finally, the study’s focus on administrative boundaries may need to fully align with ecological boundaries, potentially overlooking important cross-border forest ecosystems. Despite these limitations, this research provides valuable insights for policymakers, environmental planners, and researchers. This multi-dimensional analysis demonstrates the importance of looking beyond absolute measurements when assessing forest and tree cover, suggesting that successful forest conservation and expansion strategies must be tailored to regional contexts while maintaining a holistic national perspective. Future research could build on these findings by incorporating temporal analysis, qualitative assessments of forest health, and socio-economic factors to develop a more comprehensive understanding of India’s forest resources and management.
5. References
- Total forest and tree cover increased by 2261 square kilometres in India as per the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021. (n.d.). https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1906388
- Forest and tree cover in India. (n.d.). Drishti IAS. https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/forest-and-tree-cover-in-india
- ISFR 2021. (2021). Forest Survey of India. Retrieved November 23, 2024, from https://fsi.nic.in/forest-report-2021-details
- Reddy, C. S., Singh, S., Dadhwal, V. K., Jha, C. S., Rao, N. R., & Diwakar, P. G. (2017). Predictive modelling of the spatial pattern of past and future forest cover changes in India. Journal of Earth System Science, 126, 1-16.
- Bhattacharjee, K., & Behera, B. (2017). Forest cover change and flood hazards in India. Land use policy, 67, 436-448.
About Author
Pankaj Chowdhury is a former Research Assistant at the International Economic Association. He holds a Master’s degree in Demography & Biostatistics from the International Institute for Population Sciences and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Visva-Bharati University. His primary research interests focus on exploring new dimensions of computational social science and digital demography.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of 360 Analytika.
Acknowledgement: The author extends his gratitude to the India State of Forest Report 2021, Forest Survey of India, Ministry of Environment (Download Data) for providing data support.
This article is posted by Sahil Shekh, Editor at 360 Analytika.