Forests in India have historically provided shelter, food, and livelihoods to humans.
India’s forest cover is reported as 25% in the 2023 State of Forest Report, but this figure hides underlying issues.
Post-Independence, India’s forest governance aimed to move away from colonial timber-focused policies, marked by the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 and Forest (Rights) Act 2006.
Industrial development and climate change pressures have hindered effective implementation of these laws.
The government has been manipulating the definition of forests to include plantations and orchards, while excluding community forests.
This manipulation allows India to meet carbon sink targets but allows development to continue unchecked, hiding forest cover loss in sensitive areas like the Western Ghats, northeast, and mangroves.
The report doesn’t account for the specific use of degraded land in carbon sequestration calculations.
Loss of biodiverse forests can’t be offset by new plantations, which are often commercial and have lower ecological value.
Forest loss, particularly due to fires, is rising, and there is a lack of resources to manage these fires.
Despite economic growth, the weakening of environmental laws, like the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act 2023, undermines forest protection.
The government’s actions are distorting the true state of forests, leading to concerns about the long-term impact.
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