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India lost 18,200 hectares of primary forest in 2024, a slight increase from 17,700 hectares recorded in 2023, according to new data released by Global Forest Watch (GFW), a collaboration of
over 100 organisations. The data shows a fluctuating but consistent trend in forest loss over recent years, with 16,900 hectares lost in 2022, 18,300 hectares in 2021, 17,000 hectares in
2020, and 14,500 hectares in 2019. Between 2002 and 2024, the country lost a total of 3,48,000 hectares of humid primary forest, representing around 5.4% of India’s total humid primary
forest area. This accounts for 15% of the country’s total tree cover loss during the same period. Humid primary forests are defined by GFW as mature natural humid tropical forests that have
not been completely cleared and regrown in recent history. These areas are identified using Landsat satellite images and specialised regional algorithms. The loss of humid primary forests
between 2019 and 2024 alone stood at 1,03,000 hectares, which is about 1.6% of the country’s remaining humid primary forest. This figure constitutes 14% of India’s total tree cover loss
during this period. Since 2001, India has lost approximately 2.31 million hectares of tree cover, reflecting a 7.1% decline. This loss is estimated to have generated about 1.29 gigatonnes of
carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. However, between 2000 and 2020, India also witnessed a gain of around 1.78 million hectares of tree cover, contributing 1.4% to the global tree cover
gain during that time. Assam recorded the highest tree cover loss in the country, with 3,40,000 hectares lost between 2001 and 2024. Other northeastern states also showed significant losses,
including Mizoram (3,34,000 ha), Nagaland (2,69,000 ha), Manipur (2,55,000 ha), and Meghalaya (2,43,000 ha). In comparison, the national average loss per state stood at 67,900 hectares.
During the same period, shifting cultivation emerged as the leading cause of temporary tree cover loss, accounting for 1.39 million hectares. Permanent agriculture led to the loss of
6,20,000 hectares of forest, followed by logging activities, which resulted in a loss of 1,82,000 hectares. Other causes included natural disturbances such as storms and pests (35,100 ha),
infrastructure development and settlements (30,600 ha), and hard commodity activities like mining and plantations (16,300 ha). Wildfires caused the loss of 8,330 hectares of tree cover
between 2001 and 2024. The peak year for fire-related forest loss was 2008, when 2,770 hectares were lost to fires, accounting for 3.5% of that year’s total forest loss. In 2024,
fire-related tree cover loss was estimated at 2,270 hectares. India’s fire season typically begins in mid-February and lasts for about 13 weeks. The GFW report noted that 29% of India’s tree
cover loss between 2001 and 2024 occurred in areas where the leading causes resulted in deforestation rather than temporary forest changes.