Tree cover in India has increased over the past 2 years, much of this from outside forest areas, according to the India State of Forest Report 2013.

The report includes for the first time a chapter on Trees in Agroforestry Systems, providing information on area, growing stock and carbon stock under agroforestry.

Released on 8 July 2014 by the Minister of State for Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar, the report estimates 789,164 square kilometers are under tree and forest cover in India, around 24 per cent of the country’s area. This is an increase of 5,871km² in forest cover and 422km² in tree cover since 2011. While these increases may be marginal, they are significant given India’s growth over this period.

The report contains information on forest, tree and mangrove cover and growing stock inside and outside forest areas. It provides details of forest cover by State and district and highlights changes since previous assessments.

The 2013 report is the 13^th in a series produced biennially by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) since 1987.

Read the full story on the Government of India’s Press Information Bureau: Shri Prakash Javadekar releases “India State of Forest Report 2013”

Read the India State of Forest Report 2013