India State of Forest Report 2021 (ISFR) (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) January 20, 2022 https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2022/jan/doc20221207001.pdf
Summary in IAS training website: https://www.drishtiias.com/summary-of-important-reports/india-state-of-forest-report-isfr-2021
Down to Earth video summary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6TPwed9Q18 India has recorded an increase of 1,540 sq kms in its forest cover, according to the biennial India’s State of Forest Report 2021, published by the Forest Survey of India. This is the increase recorded during 2019 and 2021. The last such report was published in 2019.
The Forest Survey of India defines “forest cover” as all lands of 1 hectare or more with tree patches with canopy density of more than 10 per cent. This covers all lands irrespective of legal ownership and land use. While “recorded forest area” includes only those areas recorded as forests in government records and include the pristine forests.
India’s total forest cover is 7, 13, 789 square kilometres, or 21.71 per cent of the total geographical area of the country. India has set a target of bringing 33 per cent of its geographical area under forest cover.
But a deep dive into the forest gain according to type of forests brings out the fact that India is not adding dense forests, rather it is losing significant areas of natural forests with moderate tree cover. India has more forest cover with tree canopy density in the range of 10 to 40 per cent, referred to as open forest.