September 24, 2024
📰 FEATURE STORY
Is the government’s data on forest cover believable?
We now know how important forests and green cover are to a country like India. At stake is the pledge to increase the size of forested land to help achieve net zero emissions by 2070. There’s also the potential of a carbon trading market sometime in the future.
But there are several issues. The government’s definition of a forest and the corresponding data don’t match those of outside environmental groups. The same goes for India’s forest cover. Can the government be trusted with the data they’ve provided?
Context
A couple of years ago, India announced two enhanced climate pledges under the updated Nationally Determined Contribution, i.e., the commitments made by countries under the Paris Climate Agreement. They were to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% and get 50% power from non-fossil fuel-based sources by 2030.
The pledge to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover wasn’t included. India also didn’t sign the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, which committed to “halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030”.
Research shows that terrestrial carbon sinks in the form of trees are a low-cost way to lower atmospheric carbon dioxide. These include wetlands, grasslands, forests, and mangroves. They can absorb large amounts of CO2.
India’s National Forest Policy, 1988, had the goal of forest and tree cover being one-third of the geographical area. Safe to say that hasn’t happened yet. Last year, the Rajya Sabha passed several amendments to the 1980 Forest (Conservation) Act. This legislation comes into play when any land is designated as a forest under the 1927 Indian Forest Act. The amendments were controversial as several environmental groups claimed the changes would nullify all progress made over the past several decades.
The government had a tough line to toe – achieve congruency between forest cover protection and development objectives. This isn’t new for developing economies. Over the past decade-plus, India has focussed on development at the cost of the environment. It was a worrisome trend since many poor and tribal people depend on forests for their livelihoods.
This May, the National Green Tribunal opened a case following the Global Forest Watch’s data that India lost 23,000 sq km of tree cover this century. Satellite data showed 95% of the tree cover loss happened within natural forests between 2013 and 2023.
As far as the government is concerned, this wasn’t true. Its last report showed forest and tree cover increased by 2,261 sq km between 2019 and 2021. The competing data shows the conundrum India faces in balancing development and environmental protection.
VIEW: The government has it right
The latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR) showed the total forest cover was over 7.1 lakh sq km, about 21.72% of the country’s geographical area. The assessment showed that total forest cover increased by 1,540 sq km, and tree cover increased by 721 sq km. The Compensatory Afforestation Fund is used by states to compensate for the loss of forest and tree cover due to the diversion of forest land for developmental projects.
Looking at this more broadly, data and reporting showed that the government’s assertions on improved forest cover are true. Last year, a Forest Survey of India (FSI) report stated India increased its forest cover by 21.7%. In July, a Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report showed India gained 2.66 lakh hectares of forest area annually from 2010 to 2020. That was third behind China and Australia. The UN agency praised India for its efforts in restoring degraded lands and expanding agroforestry.
Despite many diversions and usages, many states have maintained and even increased their forest expanse. Take Andhra Pradesh as an example. According to the FSI, its green canvas steadily grew from 2015 to 2021. Other states like Jharkhand and Rajasthan topped the compensatory afforestation list by planting trees on 1.5 lakh and 1 lakh hectares, respectively.
COUNTERVIEW: Not the real picture
The numbers and data from outside groups are at odds with the government. According to the Global Forest Watch monitoring project, India lost 2.33 million hectares of tree cover since 2000. That’s equivalent to a 6% decrease in tree cover. Between 2001 and 2022, data showed that Indian forests emitted 51 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent a year. The FAO’s report mentioned earlier relied on data from the FSI, run by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. These aren’t independently assessed.
Experts who have analysed the government’s data say the conflicting numbers are mostly due to a change made in 2001 in how India classifies land designated for forests. India includes all green parcels that meet biophysical criteria, regardless of the land’s legal status, ownership, or use. This includes tea gardens, grasslands, and coconut plantations. Basically, if 10% of a hectare of land had trees, it was a forest. The Global Forest Watch’s definition is based on biophysical factors like height, canopy cover and land use, which mandates land be legally designated as a forest.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court directed the government to revert to an older definition of forests whose protections were more broad. Essentially, it’s the ‘dictionary definition’ of a forest based on its landmark 1996 Godavarman judgment. The government decided to go another way. One of the amendments to the FCA stated land had to be marked as a forest in its revenue records. That’s problematic since 28% of India’s forests are outside this recorded forest area.
Reference Links:
- Forest cover protection | An act of contention – India Today
- India’s forests: A tale of growth, loss, and revival – India Today
- Why India needs to revise its forest cover targets – Down To Earth
- Explained: The Great Indian Tree Cover Loss – The Wire
- India’s definition of forest under scanner as watchdog contradicts claim that green cover increased – Scroll
- Parks, Plantations & Orchards Passed Off As Forests & Other Untruths From India’s Forest Data – Article 14
What is your opinion on this?
(Only subscribers can participate in polls)
a) The government’s data on forest cover is believable.
b) The government’s data on forest cover isn’t believable.
Previous poll’s results:
- The PM E-DRIVE scheme is the right approach: 54.9% 🏆
- The PM E-DRIVE scheme is the wrong approach: 45.1%
🕵️ BEYOND ECHO CHAMBERS
For the Right:
Simultaneous elections are an unimplementable idea. Why is Modi so keen to push it?
For the Left:
South India’s GDP growth didn’t come out of the blue. Central govt had a big hand