Analysing the gross and net deforestation rates in India.

摘要

Monitoring of forests has gained vital recognition in the international scenario due to realization of its role in carbon sequestration, biodiversity and global warming. Through advancement of remote sensing and GIS technology it is possible to monitor and analyse gross and net changes in forest ecosystems. This article analyses the deforestation rates and drivers of deforestation in India and summarizes the Government initiatives for conservation of forests based on the published literature. It also reviews gross and net rate of deforestation from the national level to locale scale. At the national level, Forest Survey of India has been carrying out mapping of forest cover on a biennial basis. The current estimate of gross deforestation in India is quite low (-0.43%) for 2009-2011 compared to the global average of -0.6%. Even though considerable progress has been made in the protection of forests, gross deforestation rate continues as a focal hindrance. The deforestation studies carried out in various parts of India are found to be fragmentary and far from being comprehensive. From the regional analysis carried out, it can be seen that the overall net rate of deforestation was relatively high in the North East region (-0.90 to -5.29) and Deccan Peninsula (-0.19 to -3.2) followed by the Western Ghats. For precise estimation of gross and net deforestation, consistency in definitions, uniform methodology and new techniques for quantifying forest cover have been realized.