Guwahati: India lost 18,200 hectares of primary Global Forest Watch (GFW), a global network of over 100 organizations monitoring forest change.
GFW reported that India lost 3,48,000 hectares of humid primary forest between 2002 and 2024-representing about 5.4% of the country’s total humid primary forests. This s for 15% of India’s total tree cover loss during the same period.
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From 2019 to 2024 alone, India lost 1,03,000 hectares (1.6%) of humid primary forest, contributing to 14% of its total tree cover loss during those years.
Annual losses continued steadily: India lost 16,900 hectares in 2022, 18,300 hectares in 2021, 17,000 hectares in 2020, and 14,500 hectares in 2019.
GFW defines primary forests as mature, naturally humid tropical forests that have not experienced complete clearance and regrowth in recent history. It identifies these areas using Landsat satellite imagery and region-specific algorithms.
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Since 2001, India has lost 2.31 million hectares of tree cover, amounting to a 7.1% decline. This loss also released an estimated 1.29 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere.
Despite these setbacks, India gained 1.78 million hectares of tree cover between 2000 and 2020, contributing about 1.4% to the global total increase during that time.
Among all states, Assam recorded the highest tree cover loss between 2001 and 2024, losing 3,40,000 hectares-far above the national average of 67,900 hectares.
Mizoram followed with 3,34,000 hectares lost, Nagaland with 2,69,000 hectares, Manipur with 2,55,000 hectares, and Meghalaya with 2,43,000 hectares.
The data also revealed key causes behind the tree cover loss. Shifting cultivation ed for 1.39 million hectares, while permanent agriculture led to 6,20,000 hectares of loss.
Logging activities removed 1,82,000 hectares, natural disturbances caused 35,100 hectares of loss, and settlements and infrastructure projects claimed another 30,600 hectares.
GFW clarified that its estimates rely on the best available satellite data, which may evolve with algorithm updates. Therefore, it advises caution when comparing tree loss statistics across different years, especially before and after 2015.
Separately, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation ranked India as having the second highest deforestation rate globally between 2015 and 2020, with an average annual forest loss of around 6,68,000 hectares.