Environmental Accounting on Forest 2025 Report Launched

Posted 26 Sep 2025

2 min read

Article Summary

The Forest 2025 Report, launched by MoSPI, highlights a 2.4% increase in India's forest cover, ecological improvements, and sustainable benefits based on UN's SEEA framework, emphasizing environmental accounting.

Released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), it is 8^th consecutive issue related to environment accounts.

It is also the first dedicated publication on forest accounting, based upon the UN System of Environmental Economic Accounts (SEEA) Framework.

Key Findings of the Report

Physical Asset Account:
- Forest Cover (2010-11 to 2021-22): Increased by 17,444.61 sq. km (2.4%), reaching 7.15 lakh sq. km (21.76% of India’s geographical area).
- Top States in gains: Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu.
Extent Account:
- Forest Extent (2013–2023): Net increase of 3,356 sq. km in forest extent due to reclassification and boundary adjustments.
- Top States: Uttarakhand, Odisha, Jharkhand in Recorded Forest Area (RFA).
Condition Account: Assesses ecosystem quality, focusing on growing stock (volume of usable wood in living trees).
- Growing Stock (2013-23): rose by 305.53 million cum (7.32%).
- Top Contributors: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana.
Service Accounts:
- Provisioning Services (timber and non-timber products): Value increased to ~0.16% of GDP in 2021-22.
  - Top States: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala.
- Regulating Services (carbon retention): Value rose to ~2.63% of GDP in 2021-22.
  - Top States: Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Assam.

UN System of Environmental Economic Accounts (SEEA) Framework

Developed by: the United Nations, European Commission, and Food and Agriculture Organization in 2012.
About: SEEA is an international statistical standard that integrates economic and environmental data to assess the environment’s contribution to the economy and the economy’s impact on the environment.
SEEA Framework was first adopted by the MoSPI in 2018.