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3.8 INDIAN STATE OF FOREST REPORT, 2017

State of Forests Report is published by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) on a biennial basis since 1987.


The India State of Forest Report 2017 is the 15th report in the series. It is based on interpretation of LISS III sensor data of indigenous Resourcesat - II satellite. The satellite data interpretation is followed by extensive and rigorous ground truthing.

The total forest and tree cover is 24.39 percent of the total geographical area. Forest and Tree Cover of the country has increased by 8,021 sq km (1 %) as compared to the assessment of 2015. The very dense forest (VDF) has increased by 1.36 % as compared to the last assessment. VDF absorbs maximum carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country, followed by Arunachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Mizoram, with 88.93 percentage of forest cover has the highest forest cover in percentage terms, followed by Lakshadweep with 84.56 per cent. The ISFR 2015 states that 15 States/Union Territories have above 33 per cent of the geographical area under forest cover.

Out of these, 7 States/Union Territories - Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Island, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Manipur have more than 75 per cent forest cover, while 8 states - Tripura, Goa, Sikkim, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Chhattisgarh and Assam have forest cover is between 33 percent to 75 percent.

“India is ranked 10th in the world in forest cover, with 24.39% of land area under forest and tree cover.


As per the FAO report, India is placed 8th in the list of Top Ten nations reporting the greatest annual net gain in the forest area.

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