25
According to an article published on WHO website on August 31, 2013, World
was losing about 14.5 million hectares of forests annually, whereas WWF reported
in its website that the loss was 18.7 million acres of forests annually. The world’s
forest area fell from 31.625% to 30.716% during the period 1990–2016 (World
Bank data: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.FRST.ZS?end=2016&sta
rt=1990&view=chart, accessed on 27.12.2019). The main causes of deforestation
are agriculture, commercial logging, mining, increase in population, urbanization
and industrialization, construction of dam reservoirs, forest fires and overgrazing.
Foster and Rosenzweig (2003) reported that forests area of India increased from
10 to 24% of the total geographical area between 1971 and 2003. According FSI
(1999), the total forest land in India was 6,37,300 km
2
. According to FSI (2017),
total forest cover in India is 7,08,273 km
2
which is 21.54% of total area of India, but
very dense forest is only 13.86% of the total forest area. It clearly indicates that forest cover in India has increased. Forest cover in India has increased by 6778 km
2
in
2017 compared to total forest area in 2015 and this increase in forest cover is mainly
contributed by three states, viz., Andhra Pradesh (2141 km
2
), Karnataka (1101 km
2
)
and Kerala (1043 km
2
). This increase in forest cover is largely attributed to compensatory afforestation and new plantation under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund
Act, 2016.
According to FSI (1989), dense forest cover in India was 3,61,412 km
2
in the first
assessment which increased to 3,78,470 km
2
in the second assessment which
accounts for 40% of the total forest area in India. Dense forest cover in India significantly decreased to 98,158 km
2
(FSI 2017) which accounts for 13.86% of the total
forest in India. According to Ministry of Environment and Forests report, dense
forests in India are thinning under human pressure. The report also states that very
dense forest accounts for only 7.5% or 1.5% of the national area and 20% of reserved
forests in India had more than 100,000 km
2
area without trees. As per data of
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)
(Scroll.in website), 14,000 km
2
of forests were cleared between 1986 and 2016. For
mining projects, defence projects and hydroelectric projects, 4947 km
2
, 1549 km
2
and 1351 km
2
of forests land were cleared, respectively.
2.3.2 Loss of Biodiversity
One of the most serious consequences of deforestation is loss of biodiversity. Shah
(2014) reported that ‘the current extinction rate is now approaching 1000 times the
background rate and may climb to 10,000 times the background rate during the next
century, if present trends continue’. According to UN (2019), since 1900, native
species in most major land-based habitats has declined by at least 20%. The report
also states that amphibian species (more than 40%), reef-forming corals (almost
33%) and marine mammals (more than one third) are threatened. Nine percent
mammals of domesticated breed type which were used for food and agriculture had
become extinct by 2016, and at least 1000 more breeds of mammals are threatened
2 Contemporary Environmental Issues – The Indian Perspective
According to an article published on WHO website on August 31, 2013, World
was losing about 14.5 million hectares of forests annually, whereas WWF reported
in its website that the loss was 18.7 million acres of forests annually. The world’s
forest area fell from 31.625% to 30.716% during the period 1990–2016 (World
Bank data: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.FRST.ZS?end=2016&sta
rt=1990&view=chart, accessed on 27.12.2019). The main causes of deforestation
are agriculture, commercial logging, mining, increase in population, urbanization
and industrialization, construction of dam reservoirs, forest fires and overgrazing.
Foster and Rosenzweig (2003) reported that forests area of India increased from
10 to 24% of the total geographical area between 1971 and 2003. According FSI
(1999), the total forest land in India was 6,37,300 km
2
. According to FSI (2017),
total forest cover in India is 7,08,273 km
2
which is 21.54% of total area of India, but
very dense forest is only 13.86% of the total forest area. It clearly indicates that forest cover in India has increased. Forest cover in India has increased by 6778 km
2
in
2017 compared to total forest area in 2015 and this increase in forest cover is mainly
contributed by three states, viz., Andhra Pradesh (2141 km
2
), Karnataka (1101 km
2
)
and Kerala (1043 km
2
). This increase in forest cover is largely attributed to compensatory afforestation and new plantation under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund
Act, 2016.
According to FSI (1989), dense forest cover in India was 3,61,412 km
2
in the first
assessment which increased to 3,78,470 km
2
in the second assessment which
accounts for 40% of the total forest area in India. Dense forest cover in India significantly decreased to 98,158 km
2
(FSI 2017) which accounts for 13.86% of the total
forest in India. According to Ministry of Environment and Forests report, dense
forests in India are thinning under human pressure. The report also states that very
dense forest accounts for only 7.5% or 1.5% of the national area and 20% of reserved
forests in India had more than 100,000 km
2
area without trees. As per data of
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)
(Scroll.in website), 14,000 km
2
of forests were cleared between 1986 and 2016. For
mining projects, defence projects and hydroelectric projects, 4947 km
2
, 1549 km
2
and 1351 km
2
of forests land were cleared, respectively.
2.3.2 Loss of Biodiversity
One of the most serious consequences of deforestation is loss of biodiversity. Shah
(2014) reported that ‘the current extinction rate is now approaching 1000 times the
background rate and may climb to 10,000 times the background rate during the next
century, if present trends continue’. According to UN (2019), since 1900, native
species in most major land-based habitats has declined by at least 20%. The report
also states that amphibian species (more than 40%), reef-forming corals (almost
33%) and marine mammals (more than one third) are threatened. Nine percent
mammals of domesticated breed type which were used for food and agriculture had
become extinct by 2016, and at least 1000 more breeds of mammals are threatened
2 Contemporary Environmental Issues – The Indian Perspective