GUWAHATI: Assam reported a significant loss of forest cover by 83.92 square kilometres between 2021 and 2023, according to a report released by the India State of Forest Report 2023 (ISFR 2023) on Saturday, December 21.
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Nationally, the total forest and tree cover increased by 1,445 square kilometres during the same time frame.
The report highlights in detail a degradation of canopy density in Assam’s protected forests, affecting an area of approximately 1,699 square kilometres.
The entire northeastern region, which includes Assam, faced challenges, collectively losing 327.3 square kilometres of forest cover. Mizoram experienced the steepest decline, with a loss of 178.42 square kilometres.
Assam also remains a significant contributor to the region’s carbon stock, accounting for 272 million tonnes. This contribution is second only to Arunachal Pradesh, which leads the country with 1,021 million tonnes of carbon stock.
Concerns were further raised about rubber plantations in Tripura, where monoculture farming has replaced large tracts of natural forests. Such activities threaten biodiversity and disrupt ecological balance. Currently, 11.90% of Tripura’s geographical area and 16.17% of its total forest area are under rubber plantations, a situation that is disrupting the ecological balance.
