The nation’s inexperienced cowl could also be rising in keeping with the headline findings of the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 , however the research additionally factors to the degradation of huge tracts of forests, improve in plantations and lack of readability in standing of so-called unclassed forests — all of which may have critical impacts for biodiversity, forest dependent individuals and ecosystem companies supplied by old-growth forests, consultants stated.
Degradation of forests
In accordance with the report, launched Saturday, 40,709.28 sq km has seen degradation between 2011 and 2021, from very dense and reasonably dense to open forests, and 5,573.02 sq km has seen degradation from very dense, reasonably dense and open forests to clean kind. Most worryingly, 46,707.11 sq km has seen very dense,reasonably dense , open, and scrub kind forests degrading to non-forests.
Very dense forests (VDF) have a cover density of ≥ 70 %; Reasonably dense forest (MDF) between 40% and 70%; Open forest (OF), between Open Forest (OF), between 10% and 40%; and Scrub kind, lower than 10%. Non-forest lands are cropland, settlements and different areas. Forest cover density is the proportion of the bottom lined by the crowns of bushes, a measure of how dense the forests are.
“A land financial institution of roughly 92,989 sq km (principally the sum of all of the areas which have seen degradation) has been recognized for “density upgradation” inside recorded forest areas. As per the report this shall be used for “enrichment planting” by way of forestry interventions — probably by way of compensatory afforestation applications, which presents a much bigger drawback,” stated Prakriti Srivastava, retired IFS and former principal chief conservator of forests, Krithika Sampath and Prerna Singh Bindra, conservation researchers.
“Permitting compensatory afforestation to be carried out on recorded forest areas by way of such recognized land banks with out consideration for his or her ecological uniqueness won’t solely destroy very important ecosystems and wildlife habitat and connectivity impacting species survival, but in addition weaken the “land for land and tree for tree” precept enshrined within the Forest Conservation (FC) Modification Act’s Compensatory Afforestation (CA) element,” they added of their critique, which in addition they shared with FSI officers.
Unclassed Forests
The FC Modification Act or the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam 2023 which was handed final 12 months exempts “unrecorded” deemed forests from requiring a forest clearance, paving approach for his or her diversion for infrastructure and different tasks.
Final 12 months, 11 retired authorities officers, together with some from the forest and atmosphere departments and two environmental activists (together with Srivastava and Bindra) challenged the brand new modification within the Supreme Courtroom. The apex court docket gave an interim order on February 19 upholding the order of the 1996 Godavarman judgement which outlined forests as per the dictionary that means of the phrase no matter possession.
These consultants had been anticipating that ISFR 2023 would offer correct particulars of “unclassed” or “deemed” forests in every district based mostly on inputs from state skilled committees. “The information on unclassed forests is totally unreliable and there’s no clarification given for the massive fluctuations within the information of states for unclassed forests from one cycle of reporting to the subsequent,” Srivastava pointed.
For instance, unclassed forests in Odisha elevated from 17 sq km (in 1999) to a staggering 16282 sq km between 2001-2015, whereas in simply the subsequent reporting cycle (in 2017), they drastically fell to 22 sq km.It’s proven as 22 sq km within the 2023 report additionally, they stated. Kerala and West Bengal don’t present any adjustments in unclassed forest space throughout the complete time interval (1995-2021). The truth is, Kerala doesn’t file any unclassed forest space in any respect within the 2023 report .
Between ISFR 2021 and 2023, 1488 sq km of unclassed forests have been misplaced, the critique added.
Plantations
The best way the Forest Survey of India (FSI) defines “forests” is just not new and has been a topic of controversy for years now. The Union atmosphere ministry, in its response within the Rajya Sabha stated final 12 months that as per choice 19/Convention of Events (CP) 9-Kyoto Protocol (1996), a forest may be outlined by any nation relying upon its capacities and capabilities .
India’s definition is accepted by United Nations Framework Conference on Local weather Change (UNFCCC) and Meals and Agriculture Group (FAO) for his or her reporting/communications. “The forest cowl is outlined as ‘all land, multiple hectare in space, with a tree cover density of greater than 10 p.c no matter possession and authorized standing. Such land could not essentially be a recorded forest space. It additionally contains orchards, bamboo and palm’. The definition of forest cowl has clearly been outlined in all of the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) and in all of the Worldwide communications of India,” the ministry added in its response.
However you will need to word that within the 2021 ISFR, the forest cowl figures are divided as ‘Inside Recorded Forest Space’ and ‘Outdoors Recorded Forest Space.’ “These ‘Inside Recorded Forest Space’ are principally pure forests and plantations of Forest Division. The Forest cowl ‘Outdoors Recorded Forest Space’ are mango orchards, coconut plantations, block plantations of agroforestry. Thus information of mango plantations and many others. is robotically getting separated out as Forest Survey of India is reporting the figures of ‘Outdoors Recorded Forest Space’ individually,” the ministry stated in its response.
Forest cowl inside recorded forest space is presently 5,20,365.32 sq km and forest cowl outdoors in 2023 is 1,94,977.29 sq km. The truth that this report clearly mentions these has been welcomed by some consultants.
“I might say it is a good report as a result of it gives vital information on the standing of inexperienced cowl together with degradation, agroforestry, forest cowl inside and outdoors recorded forests, in ecologically vital areas akin to Western Ghats and Northeastern area,” stated N H Ravindranath, retired professor, Indian Institute of Science and forestry skilled.
However he added that it’s worrying that mango, rubber and low plantations are being counted as forest cowl. “Previous progress forests are vital for the biodiversity they help and ecosystem companies supplied by them.”
