Forests are a natural resource crucial to feeding and regulating rainfall cycles. They also provide essential biodiversity – being home to millions of species of plants and animals – for the coupled existence of humankind and nature. As the bells toll louder on climate change, forests are the first line of defense. They act as a carbon sink, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in their wood, and soil.
On the other hand, deforestation and degradation of forests releases carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere, driving up temperatures and triggering climate catastrophe. Between 2001 and 2020, global forests lost 10% of their area coverage, releasing 165 gigatons of carbon dioxide. It was music to the ears when the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, released by the Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, announced India's forest and tree cover had increased to just over a quarter – or 25.17% – of the country's geographical area. The minister said there had been an increase of 1,445 square kilometers of forest and tree cover over the last count in 2021.
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