India’s Forest Health Declining Despite Greening Reports

A recent study by IIT Kharagpur has revealed a troubling paradox in India’s environmental story. While national reports and satellite data highlight significant greening, much of this growth is linked to irrigated croplands, not forests. Meanwhile, the country’s true forest health is quietly deteriorating.

The research, titled Weakening of forest carbon stocks due to declining Ecosystem Photosynthetic Efficiency under the current and future climate change scenarios in India, was led by Professor Jayanarayanan Kuttippurath and Rahul Kashyap from the Centre for Ocean, River, Atmosphere and Land Sciences at IIT Kharagpur.

Decline in photosynthetic efficiency

The study shows that photosynthetic efficiency in Indian forests dropped by 5% between 2010 and 2019 compared to the previous decade. This decline reduces forests’ ability to absorb carbon and threatens long-term sustainability.

The sharpest declines were observed in biodiversity-rich regions such as the Eastern Himalaya, Western Ghats, and Indo-Gangetic Plain. These areas, once considered strong carbon sinks, are now showing worrying signs of stress.

Only 16% of the forests studied retain high ecological integrity. Most forests have low resilience to warming, drying, aridity, and extreme weather events such as wildfires.

“Global warming, reduced soil moisture, and higher air temperatures contribute to the decrease in forest health,” said Professor Kuttippurath. “Wildfires, landslides, deforestation, mining, and development activities further accelerate the decline.”

Greener fields, weaker forests

India has been hailed as one of the global leaders in greening. NASA studies show an increase in vegetation cover. Still, this greening is largely due to agricultural expansion. This includes crops like wheat, rice, and sugarcane. It is not due to the preservation or restoration of forests.

This creates a misleading picture. While the landscape looks greener from space, pristine forests in ecologically fragile regions are losing efficiency. They are weakening in their ability to store carbon.

Ecological and economic risks ahead

The weakening of forest carbon sinks is expected to intensify as climate change, agricultural expansion, and developmental pressures continue. This decline poses risks not only to biodiversity but also to the economy.

Timber production, local markets, and the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities could all face disruptions. Rahul Kashyap, co-author of the study, warned that “forest degradation threatens biodiversity. It pushes species toward extinction. It also increases the risk of extreme climate events in fragile regions.”

Urgent action required

The researchers stress that forest-based climate mitigation should not be viewed as a substitute for cutting emissions. If unchecked, accelerated deforestation and degradation could cause the “savannisation” of Indian forests. In this process, dense forests are replaced by open, grass-dominated landscapes.

To reverse the trend, the study recommends:

• Preservation of indigenous forests
• Sustainable management practices
• Scientific afforestation, rather than monoculture plantations
• Substantial reduction in carbon emissions
• Adoption of advanced carbon capture technologies

“These steps are essential if India is to safeguard biodiversity. They are crucial to protect its communities. They are also vital to achieve its net-zero target by 2070,” emphasized Professor Kuttippurath.