India lost dense forests, gained tree cover

India lost dense forests, gained tree cover, says Govt report

Tree patches smaller than 1 hectare are not considered forests and are accounted for separately as tree cover. At 1,12,014 sq km, India’s tree cover now extends over 3.41% of the land area and supplements India’s 21.76% forest cover.

The biennial India State of Forest Report (ISFR 2023) released by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday in Dehradun reported a net gain of 156 sq km in India’s forest cover and 1,289 sq km in tree cover since 2021. It also recorded a complete loss of 3,656 sq km of dense forests at that time.

Tree patches smaller than 1 hectare are not considered forests and are accounted for separately as tree cover. At 1,12,014 sq km, India’s tree cover now extends over 3.41% of the land area and supplements India’s 21.76% forest cover.

Releasing the report, Minister Yadav expressed happiness over the fact that as compared to 2021, there is an increase of 1,445 sq km in the total forest and tree cover of the country.

He also highlighted the near real-time fire alerts and forest fire services provided by FSI using advanced technology.

The top four states that recorded the maximum increase in forest and tree cover are Chhattisgarh (684 sq km) followed by Uttar Pradesh (559 sq km), Odisha (559 sq km) and Rajasthan (394 sq km).

The four states that recorded the maximum loss in forest and tree cover between 2021 and 2023 are Madhya Pradesh (612.41 sq km), Karnataka (459.36 sq km), Ladakh (159.26 sq km) and Nagaland (125.22 sq km).

When it comes to gain in forest cover alone, Mizoram (242 sq km), Gujarat (180 sq km) and Odisha (152 sq km) topped the chart. Incidentally, Odisha was one of the top gainers in ISFR 2021 as well.

As many as 21 states and UTs have shown an increasing trend in tree cover, which indicates agroforestry promotion, with Chhattisgarh (702.75 sq km) Rajasthan (478.26 sq km) and Uttar Pradesh (440.76 sq km) in the lead.

In terms of quality (canopy density), India’s forests are classified under three categories: very dense forest (VDF) with a 70% or higher canopy density, moderate dense forest (MDF) with 40-70% canopy density and open forest (OF) with less than 40% canopy density.

Depending on various factors such as climate and protection, a forest patch can gain or lose density — OFs may improve to MDFs, or MDFs may thin to OF — during the 2-year ISFR cycle. But when a previously forested area is recorded as non-forest (NF), it signifies a complete loss of that forest

According to the latest ISFR, 294.75 sq km of VDF and 3,361.5 sq km of MDF became non-forests during 2021-2023 in India. Together, that is a loss of 3,656 sq km of dense forests in two years.

Some of this loss was offset by the transformation of 895 sq km of non-forests to dense forests: 55.53 sq km to VDF and 839.26 sq km to MDF. These are plantations of limited ecological value as natural forests do not grow so fast.

ISFR 2023 carried out a decadal changes analysis of forest cover of Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Areas and recorded an overall loss of 58.22 sq km in forest cover since 2013. In that time, the landscape gained 3,465.12 sq km in VDF while MDF and OF decreased by 1,043.23 sq km and 2,480.11 sq km respectively.

Since 2021, the country’s mangrove cover shrunk by 7.43 sq km with Gujarat recording the biggest loss of 36.39 sq km. However, Andhra Pradesh (13.01 sq km) and Maharashtra (12.39 sq km) recorded notable gains in mangroves.

Source: Indian Express News Article, 22 December 2024.

CG’s forest ecosystem services to be valued by connecting with Green GDP

CG’s forest ecosystem services to be valued by connecting with Green GDP

In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, the Chhattisgarh Forest Department is creating a vision document that incorporates ecosystem services valuation. This groundbreaking effort to connect forest ecosystem services with Green GDP demonstrates progress in uniting environmental conservation with economic growth. The measurement of intangible benefits through Green GDP correlation reveals the true value of forest ecosystem services.

The department officials indicated that this evaluation will improve budget planning, strategic decisions, fund allocation, and forestry programme enhancement.

Chhattisgarh’s forests span 44% of its territory (59,820.78 square kilometres), representing vital ecological and economic resources. These forests provide essential livelihoods through direct benefits, including timber and non-timber forest produce (NTFP) such as medicinal plants, tendu leaves, sal seed, mahua, harra, awala, bamboo, various resins, honey, edible fruits, and lac, supporting rural economies.

These natural assets maintain local industries while generating employment and providing nistar facilities to nearby communities, directly impacting numerous residents. These concrete benefits significantly influence the state’s GDP.

The substantial intangible benefits remain undervalued despite their importance. These include climate regulation through carbon storage, agricultural pollination assistance, nutrient cycles, soil enhancement, and biodiversity conservation through habitat protection.

Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap stated, “Till now, there has been no formal valuation of the important services contributed by forests, and this initiative marks a transformative step towards recognising their true worth.”

The evaluation project proceeds under ACS, Department of Forest and Climate Change, Richa Sharma, and PCCF & HoFF V Sreenivasa Rao and APCCF Sunil Mishra.

The forests’ tangible contributions consistently strengthen Chhattisgarh’s economy. In 2023, tendu leaf collection achieved sales of 12.66 lakh standard bags, generating Rs 789 crore revenue.

“It will take at least a year to evaluate the exact contribution of the forest to the state GDP, starting from January 1, 2025. Presently, we are receiving about Rs 3000 crore allocation for managing 44% of forests present in Chhattisgarh, and our contributions to the GDP are being shown as Rs 1000 crore. The contribution will certainly increase when a proper valuation is done, and with these objectives, we are initiating the valuation,” PCCF & HoFF V Sreenivasa Rao.

Source: Times of India News, Jan 1, 2025

Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme launched to promote Sustainable Management of forests and agroforestry

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has launched the Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme. This national forest certification scheme offers voluntary third-party certification designed to promote sustainable forest management and agroforestry in the country. The scheme includes forest management certification, tree outside forest management certification, and chain of custody certification.

The Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme can provide market incentives to various entities that adhere to responsible forest management and agroforestry practices in their operations. This includes state forest departments, individual farmers, or Farmer Producer Organizations engaged in agroforestry and farm forestry, as well as other wood-based industries in the value chain.

The Forest Management certification is based on the Indian Forest Management Standard, consisting of 8 criteria, 69 indicators and 254 verifiers, which is an integral part of the National Working Plan Code 2023, launched earlier this year. A separate Trees Outside Forests Standard, is now introduced as a part of the newly launched Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme.

The Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme, will be overseen by the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Council, which will act as a multistakeholder advisory body. The Council is represented by members from eminent institutions such as Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Forest Survey of India, Quality Council of India, Indian Institute of Forest Management including representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Ministry of Commerce and Industry, State Forest Departments, Forest Development Corporations, and representatives from wood-based industries.

Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal will act as the scheme operating agency and will be responsible for overall management of the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme.

The National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies under the Quality Council of India will accredit the certification bodies which will carry out independent audits and assess adherence of various entities on the standards prescribed under the scheme.

Click here to see scheme details

Large stretches of key forests may be exempted in new Act

Large stretches of key forests may be exempted in new Act.

The focus of the bill is to ensure areas of strategic importance for the country are exempted from the purview of the Forest Conservation Act.

Large stretches of forests along the international borders in Himalayan states including the northeast; primary forests in parts of Central India; and forests with unclear records such as the Aravallis in Haryana may all be exempted from prior forest clearance for projects under the Forest Conservation Amendment Bill 2023, environmentalists and activists said.

The bill was referred to a select committee of Parliament on Wednesday, prompting protests that it should ideally have been referred to the concerned standing committee.

One of the major provisions of the bill is to cover only land that has been declared or notified as a forest under the Indian Forest Act, 1927 or under any other law. Forest land that is not protected under the Indian Forest Act but has been recorded in any government record as forest as on or after the 25th October, 1980 will continue to be covered under the Forest Conservation Act and hence diversion of these lands would involve obtaining prior forest clearance. But, vast areas that may have been classified as forest in government records prior to 1980 will now be exempt from the FC Act, environmentalists said.

The other major concerns are that the bill exempts forest land: situated within a distance of 100 km of an international borders or Line of Control or Line of Actual Control proposed to be used for construction of strategic linear project of national importance and concerning national security; up to 10 hectares proposed to be used for construction of security related infrastructure (doesn’t mention where); that is to be used for a defence related project or a camp for paramilitary forces or public utility projects, as may be specified by the Central Government, the extent of which does not exceed 5 hectares in a left-wing extremism affected area.

The bill is also silent on forests identified as per dictionary meaning of the word or deemed forests. One of the objectives of the bill is to remove any ambiguity around the Supreme Court’s December 12, 1996 judgement in TN Godavarman Thirumulpad vs. Union of India and others case where it directed that “forests” will not only include forest as understood in the dictionary sense, but also any area recorded as forest in Government records irrespective of the ownership.

“The title of the Act is Forest Conservation Act. The title also has been changed a bit now to “Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam. No project with strategic importance is ever rejected so the fact that because of FC Act you cannot divert land is a misplaced idea. So, the FC Act was essentially ensuring that there is some scrutiny and certain conditions are prescribed that are needed to mitigate the damage that is caused. Now, once they are exempted from forest clearance also means there will be no safeguards,” said Ritwick Dutta, an environmental lawyer.

He added that by not mentioning the provision on the dictionary meaning of forest, the bill runs contrary to the 1996 order of the Supreme Court. “ There are essentially three definitions of forests—areas notified as forests under Indian Forest Act and other laws; areas recorded as forest in any government record and the third area that meets dictionary meaning of forests. This was also highlighted in SC judgement on Aravallis. This bill does away with the third category now.”

That 1996 ruling provided “teeth” to the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, according to Debadityo Sinha, Lead- Climate & Ecosystems, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy. This, he added, “ played the most significant role in preventing further damage to the forest areas across the country for decades. Especially because much of the forest areas we see today are not government notified, and they exist as ecologically and wildlife rich forest areas of Aravalli, Central Indian forests, Western Ghats, etc. By limiting the scope of the Act to only those forests recorded on or after 25th October 1980, the government has made all such forest tracts vulnerable to exploitation for mining, power generation, resorts, farmhouses, safari zones and whatever one can imagine.”

The 1996 ruling also protected areas that were not notified or recorded as forests but were forests of natural origin, explained Chetan Agarwal, an environmental analyst.

“This category has provided succour and protection to many big and small natural forest patches. In this context the silence of the draft amendment text and its objects and reasons on ‘forest as per dictionary meaning’ is .”

“As the Bill has been introduced in the Parliament, no comments please,” said a senior official of the environment ministry.

Source: Hindustan Times, Mar 31, 2023

India lost forest cover in the last 30 years

India lost 668,400 ha of forest cover in the last 30 years

India clocked in the second highest rate of deforestation among countries worldwide between 1990 and 2020.

What are the facts? India ranked the second highest for the rate of deforestation after losing 668,400 hectares of forest cover in the last 30 years, a report by UK-based Utility Bidder said. Brazil and Indonesia clocked in at first and third respectively with Brazil recording 1,695,700 hectares and Indonesia recording 650,000 hectares of deforestation. India also topped the chart for biggest increase in deforestation between 1990 and 2020 with a difference of 284,400 hectares in forestry loss.

What is the context?

  • The study highlighted the trend of deforestation of 98 countries with data collated from 1990 to 2000 and from 2015 to 2020 by Our World In Data, an online data repository.
  • India’s deforestation rose from 384,000 hectares between 1990 and 2000 to 668,400 hectares between 2015 and 2020, Down to Earth noted.
  • India plans to restore 20 million hectares of its forest cover by 2030.

Why does it matter?

  • The biggest contributor to increased deforestation is climate change, with 10 million hectares of land getting affected every year.
  • Brazil has lost 1,695,700 hectares of forests between 2015 and 2020, with climate change throwing rainfall and temperature off balance, affecting their growth.
  • In India, the study blamed pressures due to expanding human settlements: “As the country with the second largest population in the world, India has had to compensate for the increase in residents – this has come at a cost in the way of deforestation.”
  • An annual destruction of 2,105,753 hectares has been attributed to cattle, the agricultural product “most responsible for deforestation.”
  • This is followed by oilseeds – particularly palm oil in Indonesia – and forestry logging which has caused 950,609 and 678,744 hectares of deforestation respectively.
Source: THE HINDU BUREAU March 21, 2023 

Mangifera and Dalbergia investigation reveals integrity concerns in India

Mangifera and Dalbergia investigation reveals integrity concerns in India

The final results of the Mangifera and Dalbergia wood species transaction verification loop (TV loop) highlight a number of supply chain integrity concerns pertaining to FSC certificate holders, specifically from India. The main findings include fraudulent documentation and large volumes of false claims.

FSC has blocked the following companies as a result of this TV loop and in accordance with normative provisions for dealing with false claims (ADV-40-004-18):

Village Impex: SA-COC-008289, terminated and blocked

Sambhav Timber and Handicraft: SCS-COC-006449, terminated and blocked

Patel Veneers: SCS-COC-004429, terminated and blocked

FSC and its assurance partner, Assurance Services International (ASI), launched a TV loop on FSC-certified Mangifera spp. and Dalbergia spp. supply chains from all over the world, in July 2020. Based on the preliminary results of the transaction data analysis, ASI identified seven high-risk supply chain clusters originating in India.

An investigation of these supply chain clusters revealed that:

  • Several Indian certificate holders trading in FSC-certified wood from these two species have made false FSC claims in their transactions. The volume of FSC-certified timber declared by the FM/COC* (forest management/chain of custody) certificate holders does not match the volume of wood that has been used by chain of custody certificate holders.
  • In the supply chains originating in India, there is a high risk of non-eligible timber being sold with FSC claims because only one FM/COC certificate holder from India has these two species of wood in their certification scope.
  • Some certificate holders created fraudulent transaction documents which are indicative of potential false claims.

According to FSC’s database on certificate holders, there are few FM/COC certificate holders with Mangifera and Dalbergia in their certification scope. Therefore, certificate holders belonging to the two supply chains of these two wood species need to implement strong due diligence measures when selecting their timber sourcing partners – both, for FSC certified timber and FSC controlled wood and controlled material.

Based on the findings of this TV loop, ASI has recommended that a number of Indian companies as well as certificate holders from other countries are blocked from the FSC system. In addition to the companies already blocked, FSC is assessing ASI’s recommendations about blocking the other companies who have intentionally violated FSC requirements. FSC will take strong action against such companies to ensure that the integrity of the FSC system is not harmed.

ASI has also provided recommendations about changes required in FSC’s normative documents to strengthen supply chain integrity and address the gaps that have emerged in the system from this TV loop.

*FM/COC: This is one type of FSC certification which includes management of forest concessions and permission to sell timber harvested from these concessions with 100% FSC claim.

Advice Note 18 (ADV-40-004-18) is available on page 30 of this document.

Source: FSC News, 4 November 2022

Planning Process for Development of Forests

Planning Process for Development of Forests

The National Forest Policy, 1988 provides that the holders of customary rights and concessions in forest areas should be motivated to identify themselves with the protection and development of forest from which they derive benefits.

The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of forest Rights) Act, 2006 (in short FRA) is an act to recognize and vest the forest rights and occupation in forest land in forest dwelling Scheduled tribes and other traditional forest dwellers who have been residing in such forests for generations but whose rights could not be recorded.

Section 3(1)(i) of FRA provides rights to forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes and of other traditional forest dwellers to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any community forest resource which they have been traditionally protecting and conserving for sustainable use. Section 5 of FRA provides as under: –

The holders of any forest right, Gram Sabha and village level institutions in areas where there are holders of any forest right under this Act are empowered to-

(a) Protect the wild life, forest and biodiversity;

(b) Ensure that adjoining catchments area, water source and other ecological sensitive areas are adequately protected;

(c) Ensure that the habitat of forest dwelling Scheduled tribes and other traditional forest dwellers is preserved from any form of destructive practices affecting their cultural heritage;

(d) Ensure that the decisions taken in the Gram Sabha to regulate access to community forest resources and stop any activity which adversely affects the wild animals, forest and the biodiversity are compiled with.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change have issued a joint communication dated 06.07.2021 to all States/UTs for effective implementation of FRA. As per FRA and rules made there under, State Governments are responsible for implementation of the Act.

Beware while selecting FSC Certification Services providers India

Beware while selecting FSC Certification Services providers India

FSC Certification Bodies and FSC Certification Service providers need to be carefully selected and their past credentials should be verified. Consultants listed on popular B2B portal (like INDIAMART) are claiming quick fix on FSC certifications services should not be entertained.

Customer reference, along with the verification of customer’s certificate could be the way to find out the Certification Body’s claim to deliver the FSC Certificates.

With a rise in fake certification providers and FSC consultants claiming to provide FSC certification in lieu of basic company details are proving to be a menace for small and large companies across the country.

Earlier in 2021, FSC received information that two United Kingdom-registered entities, UK Merit Assessments Ltd. and United Accredium Certification and Inspection Limited, posed as authentic certification bodies and provided counterfeit FSC certificates in the Indian market.

Source: FSC News, 22 July 2021

 

New Forest Conservation Rules, 2022

New Forest Conservation Rules, 2022

As per the provisions of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, the Approval of the Central Government under the Forest (Conservation), Act 1980 is a prior approval of the Central Government which does not directly lead to non-forestry use or breaking of forest land.  Process of approval for diversion of forest land culminates after issuance of final diversion order by the State Government or UT concerned which authorizes use of forest land for intended purpose and hands over the land to the user agency.

Provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022 under sub clause b(ii) of sub rule 6 of rule 9 provide that “The State Government or Union territory Administration, as the case may be, after receiving the ‘Final’ approval of the Central Government under Section 2 of the Act, and after fulfillment and compliance of the provisions of all other Acts and rules made there under, as applicable including ensuring settlement of rights under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (No. 2 of 2007), shall issue order for diversion, assignment of lease or dereservation, as the case may be” imply that Forest (Conservation) Rules,2022 emphasize the compliance of the provisions of all Acts and Rules.

Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022 have been promulgated solely to implement the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Process as envisaged in the Act and the rules framed there under is a parallel process with other statutory processes. The Rules do not inhibit the commencement of processes envisaged in other laws like Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Land Acquisition Act, 1896, Forest Rights Act, 2006, etc. Provisions envisaged in other statutory laws can be undertaken simultaneously by the respective nodal implementing agencies. The State Government or Union territory may ensure compliance of such statutes at the very initial or at any other stage as the provisions of Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022 do not bar the authorities to do so, but in in any case, it should be done before handing over forest land to the user agency.

Read the press release here.

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National afforestation programmes to improve the forest cover

The year-wise details of budgetary allocations and expenditure on national afforestation programmes, through the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) of the Ministry, National Afforestation Programme (NAP) and National Mission for a Green India (GIM) from 2017-18 to 2021-22, are  as under:

(Amount in Rupees in crore)

Year 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22

(as on  24th January,2022)

Budget Allocated NAP 80.00 GIM

47.80

 

176.94*

 

193.63*

 

160.00*

 

220.00*

Expenditure 80.00 46.99 176.73* 193.63* 158.04* 200.13*

*Combined allocation and expenditure for Green India Mission-National Afforestation Programme.

NAP has been the flagship afforestation scheme of the Ministry, implemented since year 2000 on pan India basis, for afforestation in identified degraded forest areas with people’s participation and decentralised forest governance. GIM activities were started in 2015-16. NAP and GIM, along with other afforestation schemes, have been contributing in restoration of degraded forest areas in the country. This has helped in stabilization and increase in the extent of forest cover, which is evident from the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) published by Forest Survey of India (FSI). The latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR 2021) revealed that the total forest and tree cover of the country is 8,09,537 square kilometres (which is 24.62 percent of the geographical area of the country) compared to 7,94,245 sq km (24.16 percent) in ISFR 2015. This is an increase of 15,292 sq km of forest and tree cover of the country. The ISFRs also pointed out that the positive change could be attributed to conservation measures or management interventions such as afforestation activities, participation of local people for better protection in plantation areas as well as in traditional forest areas, expansion of trees outside forests, tree plantation drives etc.

In order to achieve the targeted objectives of national afforestation programmes, the Ministry has approved merger of NAP into Green India Mission (GIM) and accordingly financial allocation for both the schemes is provided under one budgetary head so that the overall greening efforts are augmented. The budget allocation for the merged scheme has increased from Rs. 160 crore in the year 2020-21 to Rs. 220 crore during the year 2021-22. Besides, the funds under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)inter-alia, is used for forest and wildlife management related activities including compensatory afforestation.

The Ministry also promotes tree plantation as people’s movement through School Nursery Yojana and Nagar Van Yojana. Tree plantation/afforestation being the multi-departmental effort, taken up cross sector by various departments of the Centre and State Governments, Non-Government Organizations, civil society, corporate bodies etc. also contributes in achieving the targeted objectives of national afforestation programmes.

This information was given by Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change in Rajya Sabha today.