New Delhi [India], December 22: India’s forest and tree cover has reached an impressive 25.17% of the country’s total geographical area, amounting to 827,357 square kilometers. This includes 21.76% forest cover and 3.41% tree cover. The latest biennial India State of Forest Report was released by Bhupender Yadav, the Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The report highlights a growth of 1,445 square kilometers in forest and tree cover since the last report two years ago.
This expansion of green cover has significantly contributed to India’s climate resilience efforts, increasing its carbon stock to 30.43 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent. The report also notes that India has made considerable progress toward achieving its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) related to carbon sequestration, reaching 2.29 billion tonnes of additional carbon sinks, just short of the 2.5 billion tonne target set for 2030.
In terms of carbon stock, India’s forests now store 7,285.5 million tonnes of carbon, an increase of 81.5 million tonnes since the last assessment. The NDCs are part of India’s commitment under the Paris Climate Agreement to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.