India ranks 9th globally in forest area, retains 3rd spot in annual forest area gain: Minister

New Delhi:In a significant milestone for environmental conservation efforts, India has secured the ninth rank globally in forest area in 2025 — up from the 10th position in 2020, said Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday.

The country has also retained its third position in annual forest area gain, according to the Global Forest Resources Assessment (GFRA) 2025 released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Bali, Indonesia.

In the previous GFRA assessment, India was ranked 10th in forest area.

Announcing the achievement in a post on the social media platform X, Yadav reaffirmed India’s steady progress in sustainable forest management.

“Here is a reason to rejoice for all Indians. We have achieved ninth rank in terms of forest area at the global level as compared to 10th spot in the previous assessment. We have also maintained our third position globally in terms of annual gain,” Yadav posted on X.

“The achievement comes on the back of the Modi government’s planning and policies for protection and enhancement of the forest and massive plantation efforts by State Governments,” he added.

The government has been implementing programmes aimed at forest protection, afforestation, and community-led environmental action.

This includes the Prime Minister’s call for ‘Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam’ and his continued emphasis on environmental consciousness, inspiring people across the nation to participate actively in tree plantation and protection.

“This growing public participation is fostering a strong sense of collective responsibility towards a greener and sustainable future,” Yadav said.

According to the global report, released every five years, forests cover 4.14 billion hectares — about one-third of the Earth’s land area.

The annual rate of net forest loss fell from 10.7 million hectares in the 1990s to 4.12 million hectares in 2015-2025.

Importantly, deforestation rate slowed to 10.9 million hectares per year in 2015-2025, down from 17.6 million in 1990-2000.

The rate of forest expansion also decreased, from 9.88 million hectares annually in 2000-2015 to 6.78 million in 2015-2025.

“Forests are important for food security, local livelihoods, and the provision of renewable biomaterials and energy. They are a habitat for a large proportion of the world’s biodiversity, help regulate the global carbon and hydrologic cycles, and can reduce the risks and impacts of drought, desertification, soil erosion, landslides, and floods,” the report said.

IANS