India among few countries to record rise in forest cover: SBI report

May 15, 2025 1:14 PM

India among few countries to record rise in forest cover: SBI report

India ranks among the top 10 countries globally that have recorded a rise in forest cover over the years, according to an SBI Research report released on Thursday. The report highlights that while India's forest cover remained largely unchanged between 1991 and 2011, it has seen a steady increase since then. “The relationship between urbanisation and forest cover follows a U-shaped pattern,” the report notes. “In the early stages, urban growth tends to cause deforestation. However, as ur...

Govt updates forest cover data and implements forest conservation amendments

December 2, 2024 10:37 PM

Govt updates forest cover data and implements forest conservation amendments

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has announced a significant update in its assessment of the country's forest cover. The Forest Survey of India (FSI) will now use the updated base year of 2022-23 for compiling the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and forest cover data, replacing the previous base year of 2011-12. The assessment of forest cover, which is conducted biennially, shows that India’s total forest cover now stands at 7,13,789 square kilometers, accounting for 21.71%...