Forest Cover in NE

The forest cover in the northeastern region of India is 7.98% of the country’s geographical area. The region also accounts for 23.75% of the country’s total forest cover. These two figures, however, do not in any way help in rejoicing it to be an achievement of any kind. The reality is that the forest cover in the northeastern region has decreased by 1,020 square kilometres in the last two years. Taking a state-wise look, one finds that Mizoram has the highest percentage of forest cover in the region; it is 84.53% of the state’s total geographical area. But then, the forests of Mizoram are reportedly in poor condition and have badly degraded in the past few years. The same is the case with Arunachal Pradesh, which, according to official reports, has 79.33% forest cover. Meghalaya comes third with 76% forest cover. But, once again, most of the forests in Meghalaya are open, degraded, and at best moderately dense. Manipur comes a close fourth after Meghalaya with 74.34% forest cover. But, while the Imphal Valley has lost most of its rich forest cover over the decades, the forests are confined to the mountainous fringe areas of the state. The forest cover in Nagaland is also quite high, standing at 73.90%. But, like Mizoram and Meghalaya, forests in Nagaland are also under tremendous stress in recent years. Assam’s forest cover, according to satellite data from November 2017 to February 2018, is 36.11% of the state’s total geographical area. But a closer look will show that only 2,795 sq km of Assam’s forest cover is made up of ‘Very Dense Forest,’ with about 10,279 sq km being classified as ‘Moderately Dense Forest’ and close to 15,253 sq km being classified as ‘Open Forest.’ What is a matter of grave concern is that the Northeastern region was also the site of the highest tree cover loss in India between 2001 and 2020. Among the eight states of the region, Assam has earned the notoriety of having the highest share of the national tree cover loss in the period, at roughly 14%. A non-governmental group called Global Forest Watch (GFW), however, has claimed that the tree cover loss in the Northeast during 2001-23 stood at over 75% of the country’s total tree cover loss. Among the various factors responsible for the decrease in Assam’s forest cover, encroachment stands out as the most important. Efforts made by the Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC) to restore forest ecosystems, enhance the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities, and ensure the sustainable use of biodiversity, however, are yet to make any significant visible impact.