India lost 18200 hectares of primary forest in 2024; Figures were revealed in the survey
The condition of forests in India is becoming increasingly worrisome. According to the new report of Global Forest Watch (GFW), the country lost 18200 hectares of primary forest in the year 2024, while this figure was 17700 hectares in 2023. This increase points to the serious problem of deforestation. These forests are identified with satellite images and algorithms.
The health of the forests in India is turning increasingly alarming. In its latest report, the Global Forest Watch (GFW) explained that India lost 18,200 hectares of forest cover during the year 2024, whereas the same in 2023 was 17,700 hectares. The increase indicates the serious issue of deforestation.
The report indicates that India has lost 3,48,000 hectares of the country's moist primary forests between 2002 and 2024, representing 5.4 percent of the country's total such forests. It is 15 percent of the country's total tree cover loss. In the years 2019-2024, 1.03 lakh hectares worth of primary forests were lost, representing 14 percent of the country's total tree cover loss in the two years.
According to Global Forest Watch, primary forests are natural, dense, and moist forests that have not been completely cleared in recent years. These forests are identified with satellite images and algorithms.
Between 2001 and 2024, the highest loss of 3.4 lakh hectares of tree cover was recorded in Assam. It was followed by Mizoram at 3.34 lakh hectares, Nagaland at 2.69 lakh hectares, Manipur at 2.55 lakh hectares, and Meghalaya at 2.43 lakh hectares.
Forest loss and carbon emissions India lost a total of 2.31 million hectares of tree cover between 2001 and 2024, a decline of 7.1 per cent. This led to an estimated 1.29 gigatonnes of carbon monoxide emissions, further exacerbating the climate crisis. However, India also added 1.78 million hectares of new tree cover between 2000 and 2020, accounting for 1.4 per cent of global tree growth.
