FOREST REPORT 2023 ISFR 2023

India State of Forest Report 2023

▪ On December 21, 2024, the Minister of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change,
Bhupender Yadav, released the "India State of Forest Report-2023" (ISFR 2023).
▪ Since 1987, the Indian Forest Survey Report has been published biennially by the Forest
Survey of India under the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change
(MoEFCC). This is the 18th report in this series.
▪ This report utilizes data obtained from the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite Resourcesat-
2 for the assessment of forests and forest resources. A scientific method was employed to
verify the data to ensure accuracy in the report.

ISFR 2023 Key Highlights

▪ The total forests and trees cover of the country is 827,357 square kilometers, which
constitutes 25.17% of the total geographical area. The total forest cover area is 715,343
square kilometers, which is 21.76% of the total geographical area. The tree cover area is
112,014 square kilometers, which is 3.41% of the total geographical area.
▪ According to the India State of Forest Report 2023, compared to the 2021 assessment,
there has been an increase of 1,445 square kilometers in the total forest and tree
cover of the country. Of this, 1,289 square kilometers is in the forest cover, and 156
square kilometers is in the tree cover.
▪ Mangrove Forests: The total Mangrove cover (coastal forest area) of the country is 4,992
square kilometers, which is 0.15% of the country's geographical area. Compared to
2021, there has been a decrease of 7.43 square kilometers in mangrove cover.
▪ Scrub Area: The Scrub area is 43,623 square kilometers, which constitutes 1.33% of
India's total geographical area. (This Scrub area is not included in the total forest and
tree cover.)

Other Important Facts

▪ According to the report, 19 states/union territories have more than 33% of their
geographical area covered by forest cover.
▪ In 8 states/union territories (Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands,
Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Manipur), more than 75% of the
area is covered by forest cover.
▪ The bamboo-bearing area of the country is estimated to be 154,670 square kilometers.
Compared to the 2021 assessment, there has been an increase of 5,227 square kilometers
in the bamboo area.
▪ In this assessment, the total carbon stock in the country's forests is estimated to be
7,285.5 million tons. Compared to the previous assessment, there has been an increase
of 81.5 million tons in the country's carbon stock.

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FOREST REPORT 2023 ISFR 2023
Maximum Increase in Forest Area States with the Highest Forest
Cover Percentage
1. Mizoram (242 square km)
2. Gujarat (180 square km) 1. Lakshadweep (91.33%)
3. Odisha (152 square km) 2. Mizoram (85.34%)
3. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Maximum Increase in Forest and Tree Cover (81.62%)
1. Chhattisgarh (684 square km) States with the Lowest Forest
2. Uttar Pradesh (559 square km) Cover Percentage
3. Odisha (559 square km)
4. Rajasthan (394 square km) 1. Haryana (3.65%)
2. Punjab (3.67%)
Maximum Decrease in Forest and Tree Cover
3. Rajasthan (4.84%)
1. Madhya Pradesh (612 square km)
2. Karnataka (459 square km) States/UTs with the Largest Mangrove
3. Ladakh (159 square km) Forest Area
1. West Bengal (2,119.16 square km,
States with the Highest Forest Area
which is 42.45% of the total mangrove
1. Madhya Pradesh (77,073 square km) forest area)
2. Arunachal Pradesh (65,882 square 2. Gujarat (1,164.06 square km, which is
km) 23.32% of the total mangrove forest
3. Chhattisgarh (55,812 square km) area)
3. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
States with the Lowest Forest Area (12.19%)
1. Haryana (1,614 square km) 4. Andhra Pradesh (8.44%)
2. Punjab (1,846 square km) Maximum Increase in Mangrove Forest Area
3. Goa (2,266 square km)
1. Andhra Pradesh (13.01 square km)
States with the Maximum Tree Cover Area 2. Maharashtra (12.39 square km)
1. Maharashtra (14,525 square km) 3. Karnataka (2.54 square km)
2. Rajasthan (10,841 square km) Maximum Decrease in Mangrove Forest Area
3. Uttar Pradesh (8,951 square km)
1. Gujarat (36.39 square km)
States with Maximum Forest and Tree Cover 2. Andaman and Nicobar Islands (4.65
square km)
1. Madhya Pradesh (85,724 square km)
2. Arunachal Pradesh (67,083 square
km)
3. Maharashtra (65,383 square km)

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FOREST REPORT 2023 ISFR 2023
State of Forest in Rajasthan (ISFR 2023)

• According to the India State of Forest Report 2023, Rajasthan has a recorded forest area
of 32,869 square kilometers, which is 9.60% of the state's total geographical area. This
includes Reserved Forests (12,176 square kilometers), Protected Forests (18,588 square
kilometers), and Unclassified Forests (2,105 square kilometers).
• According to the report, there has been an increase of 394.46 square kilometers in the
forest and tree cover of Rajasthan. This includes a decrease of 83.80 square kilometers
in forest cover and an increase of 478.26 square kilometers in tree cover.
• The total forests and trees cover of the state is 27,389.33 square kilometers, which is
8% of the state's total geographical area.
• The forest cover area of the state is 16,548.21 square kilometers, which is 4.84% of the
total geographical area.
• The tree cover area of the state is 10,841.12 square kilometers, which is 3.16% of the total
geographical area.

Top Districts with Increase in Forest Area Districts with the Highest Forest
1. Sikar (19.14 square km) Cover Percentage
2. Barmer (19.00 square km) 1. Udaipur (23.60%)
3. Alwar (16.39 square km) 2. Pratapgarh (22.48%)
4. Udaipur (12.46 square km) 3. Sirohi (17.50%)
Top Districts with Decrease in Forest Area 4. Karauli (15.18%)

1. Baran (33.29 square km) Districts with the Lowest Forest

2. Pratapgarh (30.79 square km) Cover Percentage
3. Ajmer (18.34 square km) 1. Churu (0.45%)
4. Bikaner (14.85 square km) 2. Jodhpur (0.49%)
Districts with the Highest Forest Cover 3. Bikaner (0.86%)
4. Jaisalmer (0.89%)
1. Udaipur (2,766.30 square km)
2. Alwar (1,198.74 square km) Districts with the highest Scrub Area
3. Pratapgarh (996.86 square km)
1. Pali (453 square km)
4. Chittorgarh (988.08 square km)
2. Alwar (321 square km)
Districts with the Lowest Forest Cover 3. Jaipur (319 square km)

1. Churu (62.73 square km) Districts with the lowest Scrub Area
2. Hanumangarh (92.29 square km)
3. Jodhpur (111.23 square km) 1. Hanumangarh
Districts with the lowest(9Scrub
square km)
Area
4. Sri Ganganagar (113.46 square km) 2. Sri Ganganagar (16 square km)
3. Churu (36 square km

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