HungHanks23355 at 02:51, 9 March 2026

2026-03-09T02:51:19Z

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[[File:SaurabhSawant EvergreenForestTreeFelling ArunachalPradesh India IMG 5967.jpg|thumb|Deforestation in [[Arunachal Pradesh]].]]
'''Deforestation in India''' is the widespread destruction of major [[forests in India]]. It is mainly caused by [[environmental degradation]] by farmers, ranches, loggers and [[plantation]] corporations. In 2009, India ranked 10th worldwide in the amount of [[forest loss]],<ref name=int>{{cite book|first=Al |last=Gore|authorlink=Al Gore|title=Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=POXvAAAAMAAJ}}|date=3 November 2009|publisher=Rod ale Books|ISBN=978-1-59486-734-7 |chapter =9 |pp= 174, 192, 184, 186, 192, 172}}</ref> where world annual deforestation is estimated as {{convert|13.7|e6ha}} a year.<ref name="int"/>

==History==

India has experienced Deforestation since 2nd Millennium BCE. Settlements in the Gangetic Plains were spread out. When the Indo-Aryans arrived they brought with them tools like Copper and Bronze, but this did not help in deforestation. Only when the use of Iron became common did deforestation began to drastically affect the Gangetic Plains. Large-scale clearing began around the 6th century BCE, driven by the need for agricultural land (specifically rice cultivation) and fuel for smelting.

The [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan Region]] is believed to have been a very forested area. A research paper titled "Utilizing traditional literature to triangulate the ecological history of a tropical savanna" by Ashish Nerlekar and Digvijay Patil published in the Science journal [[People and Nature]], used [[Marathi literature]] and folksongs to find out about the environment of [[Desh region]] which is part of the Deccan. From the research it has been found out that there, the landscape has remained consistent over at least 750 years, contrary to what was believed earlier.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-02-08 |title=Ecologists explain state’s landscape history guided by 750 years of Marathi lit works |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/ecologists-explain-states-landscape-history-guided-by-750-years-of-marathi-lit-works/articleshow/128046776.cms |access-date=2026-02-16 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

[[Deforestation]] started with the growth of agriculture, but was exacerbated in the nineteenth century when British commercial [[Forestry in India|forestry operations]] destroyed forests in mountain areas of [[Kerala]], [[Tamil Nadu]] and [[Karnataka]]. The [[Gangetic plains]] were also heavily affected. <ref>{{cite web|title=Case studies of Andaman Island, Uttara Kannada|url=http://wrm.org.uy/oldsite/deforestation/Asia/India.html|website=org.uy|accessdate=20 August 2015|archive-date=7 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307001350/http://wrm.org.uy/oldsite/deforestation/Asia/India.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Dynamics==
Deforestation has several causes including [[colonization]], [[agricultural expansion]], [[firewood]] collection, [[timber harvesting]] and extension of cultivation on slopes. In the Indian [[Himalaya]]s debris thrown down slopes due to the reckless use of [[excavator]] machines for widening roads and making of new roads has destroyed vast areas of Forest.{{Citation needed|date=December 2019|reason=removed citation to predatory publisher content}} Due to colonization, trees were cut down as a primary source of fuel. Felled trees are used for cooking food and other daily needs which require fuel.

== Tree cover extent and loss ==
[[Global Forest Watch]] publishes annual estimates of tree cover loss and 2000 tree cover extent derived from time-series analysis of [[Landsat program|Landsat]] satellite imagery in the Global Forest Change dataset.<ref name="GFWINDdashboard">{{cite web
|title=India Deforestation Rates & Statistics
|website=Global Forest Watch
|url=https://www.globalforestwatch.org/dashboards/country/IND/
}}</ref><ref name="HansenEtAl2013">{{cite journal
|last1=Hansen
|first1=Matthew C.
|last2=Potapov
|first2=Peter V.
|last3=Moore
|first3=Rebecca
|last4=Hancher
|first4=Matt
|last5=Turubanova
|first5=Svetlana A.
|last6=Tyukavina
|first6=Alexandra
|display-authors=3
|title=High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change
|journal=Science
|volume=342
|issue=6160
|year=2013
|pages=850-853
|doi=10.1126/science.1244693
}}</ref><ref name="GFWTCLossAbout">{{cite web
|title=Tree cover loss
|website=Global Forest Watch Open Data Portal
|url=https://data.globalforestwatch.org/documents/gfw::tree-cover-loss/about
}}</ref><ref name="GFWTCCover2000About">{{cite web
|title=Tree cover (2000)
|website=Global Forest Watch Open Data Portal
|url=https://data.globalforestwatch.org/documents/gfw::tree-cover-2000/about
}}</ref> In this framework, tree cover refers to vegetation taller than 5 m (including natural forests and tree plantations), and tree cover loss is defined as the complete removal of tree cover canopy for a given year, regardless of cause.<ref name="GFRTreeCoverLoss2023">{{cite web
|title=How much forest was lost in 2023?
|website=Global Forest Review
|url=https://gfr.wri.org/global-tree-cover-loss-data-2023
}}</ref>

For India, the dashboard reports that from 2001 to 2024 the country lost about {{convert|2300000|ha|km2|abbr=on}} of tree cover (about 7.0% of its 2000 tree cover area).<ref name="GFWINDdashboard" /> For tree cover density greater than 30%, country statistics report a 2000 tree cover extent of {{convert|32620759|ha|km2|abbr=on}}.<ref name="GFWINDdashboard" /> The charts and table below display this data. In simple terms, the annual loss number is the area where tree cover disappeared in that year, and the extent number shows what remains of the 2000 tree cover baseline after subtracting cumulative loss. Forest regrowth is not included in the dataset.<ref name="GFWINDdashboard" /><ref name="GFRTreeCoverLoss2023" />

{{ChartDirect
|type=bar
|align=center
|width=100%
|x=2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020,2021,2022,2023,2024
|xType=integer
|y1=567.93,478.39,438.31,664.12,564.19,610.12,677.32,786.41,741.55,474.41,834.15,880.11,754.07,1320.72,1096.77,1641.50,1792.61,1252.95,1159.04,1308.54,1257.53,1142.23,1367.13,1260.44
|y1Title=Annual tree cover loss (km²)
|caption=Annual tree cover loss in India, 2001–2024.<ref name="GFWINDdashboard" />
}}

{{ChartDirect
|type=line
|align=center
|width=100%
|x=2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020,2021,2022,2023,2024
|xType=integer
|y1=325639.66,325161.27,324722.96,324058.84,323494.65,322884.53,322207.21,321420.80,320679.25,320204.84,319370.69,318490.58,317736.51,316415.79,315319.02,313677.52,311884.91,310631.96,309472.92,308164.38,306906.85,305764.62,304397.49,303137.05
|y1Title=Extent minus cumulative loss (km²)
|caption=Tree cover extent in 2000 minus cumulative tree cover loss in India, 2001–2024 (loss-only residual; does not account for gain).<ref name="GFWINDdashboard" />
}}

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible collapsed" style="text-align:right;"
|+ Annual tree cover loss<ref name="GFWINDdashboard" />
! Year
! Tree cover extent (km2){{efn|name=regrowth|This residual measure does not include forest regrowth.}}
! Annual tree cover loss (km2)
|-
| 2001 || 325,639.66 || 567.93
|-
| 2002 || 325,161.27 || 478.39
|-
| 2003 || 324,722.96 || 438.31
|-
| 2004 || 324,058.84 || 664.12
|-
| 2005 || 323,494.65 || 564.19
|-
| 2006 || 322,884.53 || 610.12
|-
| 2007 || 322,207.21 || 677.32
|-
| 2008 || 321,420.80 || 786.41
|-
| 2009 || 320,679.25 || 741.55
|-
| 2010 || 320,204.84 || 474.41
|-
| 2011 || 319,370.69 || 834.15
|-
| 2012 || 318,490.58 || 880.11
|-
| 2013 || 317,736.51 || 754.07
|-
| 2014 || 316,415.79 || 1,320.72
|-
| 2015 || 315,319.02 || 1,096.77
|-
| 2016 || 313,677.52 || 1,641.50
|-
| 2017 || 311,884.91 || 1,792.61
|-
| 2018 || 310,631.96 || 1,252.95
|-
| 2019 || 309,472.92 || 1,159.04
|-
| 2020 || 308,164.38 || 1,308.54
|-
| 2021 || 306,906.85 || 1,257.53
|-
| 2022 || 305,764.62 || 1,142.23
|-
| 2023 || 304,397.49 || 1,367.13
|-
| 2024 || 303,137.05 || 1,260.44
|}

==Results==

Deforestation has affected the lives of wild animals and birds including bats.<ref>{{cite news|title=Deforestation Serious Threat to Bats in India|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/travel/Deforestation-Serious-Threat-to-Bats-in-India/2015/08/20/article2984280.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150821033507/http://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/travel/Deforestation-Serious-Threat-to-Bats-in-India/2015/08/20/article2984280.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 21, 2015|accessdate=20 August 2015|agency=Indian Express}}</ref> Birds like sparrows, pigeons and crows are becoming rarer due to deforestation. Due to deforestation, India is facing water problems in urban cities and villages.

==REDD+ forest reference level and monitoring==
India has made submissions under the [[UNFCCC]] [[REDD+]] framework, including a National REDD+ Strategy, a [[Cancún safeguards|safeguards information summary]] and a national [[forest reference level]] (FRL) that has undergone a UNFCCC technical assessment.<ref name="UNFCCC_IND_REDD_Submissions">{{cite web |title=India – REDD+ submissions (country detail) |url=https://redd.unfccc.int/submissions/by-country/country_detail/ind.html |website=REDD+ Web Platform |publisher=United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) |access-date=27 February 2026}}</ref><ref name="UNFCCC_TAR_IND_2018">{{cite report |title=Report on the technical assessment of the proposed forest reference level of India submitted in 2018 |publisher=United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) |date=29 October 2018 |id=FCCC/TAR/2018/IND |url=https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/tar2017_IND.pdf}}</ref> The UNFCCC REDD+ Web Platform lists India’s forest monitoring system as “not reported” as a standalone submission for the 2018 documentation, although monitoring information is discussed within the FRL documentation.<ref name="UNFCCC_IND_REDD_Submissions"/>

In 2018 India submitted a national FRL covering the REDD+ activity “[[Sustainable forest management|sustainable management of forests]]”. The FRL is based on the average annual carbon stock increment associated with a net increase in forest area over the 2000–2008 reference period, using satellite-derived forest cover assessments for 2000, 2004 and 2008 and emission factors drawing on national forest inventory data and [[Forest Survey of India]] studies. The UNFCCC technical assessment reported an assessed FRL of −49,700,000 tonnes of [[Carbon dioxide equivalent|carbon dioxide equivalent]] (t CO2 eq) per year.<ref name="UNFCCC_TAR_IND_2018"/><ref name="India_FRL_2018_Sub">{{cite report |title=India’s proposed submission on forest reference levels for REDD+ result based payments under UNFCCC |author=Government of India; Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Forest Survey of India |date=2018 |url=https://redd.unfccc.int/files/2018_frel_submission_india.pdf |type=UNFCCC submission}}</ref><ref name="India_FRL_2018_Mod">{{cite report |title=India’s proposed modified submission on forest reference levels for REDD+ result based payments under UNFCCC |author=Government of India; Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Forest Survey of India |date=2018 |url=https://redd.unfccc.int/files/modified_submission_of_frl_02_november_2018.pdf |type=UNFCCC submission (modified)}}</ref>

For this FRL, India applied a forest definition of lands larger than 1 hectare with tree canopy density above 10% irrespective of ownership or legal status (including orchards, bamboo and palm). The FRL includes all five carbon pools (above- and below-ground biomass, deadwood, litter and [[Soil organic carbon|soil organic carbon]]) and reports only CO2. The UNFCCC technical assessment noted that the information provided was only partially transparent and not complete, and identified areas for future technical improvement.<ref name="UNFCCC_TAR_IND_2018"/><ref name="India_FRL_2018_Sub"/><ref name="India_FRL_2018_Mod"/>

== See also ==
* [[Environmental issues in India]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Deforestation and desertification|state=expanded}}
{{Deforestation}}
{{Human impact on the environment}}
{{Portal bar|India|Environment|Ecology|Earth sciences|Biology}}

[[Category:Deforestation by region|India]]
[[Category:Forestry in India]]
[[Category:Environmental issues in India]]

Deforestation in India - Revision history

HungHanks23355 at 02:51, 9 March 2026