India’s forests are growing—and the country is climbing the ranks in the world’s forest lists. According to the latest FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025, India now sits ninth in total forest area, up from 10th in the 2020 report. The country also remains third worldwide in the annual net gain of forest area and has moved into the top five as a global carbon sink, with its forests removing about 150 million tonnes of CO₂ each year from 2021‑2025.
The government credited this progress to strong national commitment and highlighted several key actions. In the 2025‑26 budget, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change increased forest spending to ₹3,412.82 crore—a 9 percent rise from the previous year’s estimate. This extra funding supports the launch of the National Mission for a Green India (GIM), the National Afforestation Programme, and Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment).
GIM aims to expand patchy forest cover, restore ecosystems, boost biodiversity, and seal more carbon sinks. The Afforestation Programme focuses on regenerating degraded forestlands across the country. Mission LiFE includes a campaign called “Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam,” which urges people to plant trees by linking it to love for one’s mother and motherland.
Together, these initiatives have added roughly 72,739 thousand hectares of forest, representing about 2 percent of the world’s total forest area. India also saw notable growth in planted bamboo and rubber plantations, further strengthening its forest landscape.
As Asia’s forest carbon removals rose to 0.9 gigatonnes of CO₂ per year in 2021‑2025 and deforestation emissions fell sharply—FAO data shows—India’s expanded forest cover is playing a vital role in global climate action.
Source: ianslive
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