GLOBAL FOREST WATCH -
REPORTS AND INDICES
News: India Lost 2.33 Million
Hectares Of Tree Cover Since 2000: Global Forest Watch
What's in the news?
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According to the most recent data from the Global
Forest Watch monitoring project, India
has lost 2.33 million hectares of tree cover since 2000.
Global Forest Watch
(GFW):
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GFW is an open-source web application for
monitoring global forests in near real-time using satellite data and other
sources.
Nodal Agency:
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It is a project of the Washington-based nonprofit
research organization, the World
Resources Institute (WRI), with most data compiled by University of
Maryland researchers.
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The platform is free and user-friendly, allowing
users to create custom maps, analyze forest trends, subscribe to alerts, or
download data for local areas or the entire world.
Key Takeaways from GFW's
Annual Forest Loss Data:
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Loss of primary forests in the tropics decreased by 9% compared to 2022, with approximately 37,000 square kilometers lost last
year.
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Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Bolivia led
in tropical countries with the most primary forest losses.
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Global deforestation increased by 3.2% in 2023.
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India lost 2.33 million hectares of tree cover since
2000, with a 6% decrease during this
period.
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The country lost 414,000 hectares of humid primary
forest from 2002 to 2023, accounting for 18% of total tree cover loss.
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Indian forests emitted 51 million tons of carbon
dioxide equivalent annually between 2001 and 2022, with a net carbon sink of
89.9 million tons annually.
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An average of 51.0 million tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent per year was released due to tree cover loss in India.
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95% of tree cover loss in India from 2013 to 2023
occurred within natural forests.
○ Five states accounted for 60% of all tree cover losses between 2001 and 2023, with Assam leading in tree cover loss.