Amaravati: As Andhra Pradesh gears up to plant one crore saplings under its ambitious ‘Vanam-Manam’ programme to mark World Environment Day, the latest report by Global Forest Watch (GFW) paints a stark picture of ongoing deforestation and tree cover loss in the state.
Primary Forest Loss in 2024 Second Highest Since 2017
According to the GFW report, Andhra Pradesh lost 468 hectares of primary forest in 2024, the second highest annual loss since 561 hectares were lost in 2017. From 2002 to 2024, the state has seen a total of 6,550 hectares of primary forest loss, accounting for 16% of all tree cover loss during that period.
5.73 Thousand Hectares of Natural Forest Lost in 2024
More concerning, the state recorded a loss of 5.73 thousand hectares of natural forest in 2024 alone, translating into a carbon footprint of approximately 1.75 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions. As of 2020, Andhra Pradesh had 2.46 million hectares of natural forest, covering about 15% of the state’s landmass.
East Godavari and Visakhapatnam: The Epicentres of Loss
The forest cover decline has been concentrated in East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts, which together accounted for 76% of Andhra Pradesh’s total tree cover loss between 2001 and 2024. East Godavari alone lost 16.4 thousand hectares, far exceeding the state average.
Tree Cover Trends: Loss vs Gain
From 2001 to 2024, Andhra Pradesh lost approximately 42.4 thousand hectares of tree cover, representing a 3.8% decline in overall tree cover and resulting in 23.1 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions.
The report also noted that 2.87 thousand hectares of tree cover were lost in 2024 and 2.96 thousand hectares in 2023, while the highest annual tree cover loss of 3.26 thousand hectares occurred in 2011.
Despite these setbacks, Andhra Pradesh has made notable progress in tree cover gain between 2002 and 2020, recovering 194 thousand hectares, placing it second in India behind Karnataka, which gained 222 thousand hectares.
Deforestation for Agriculture the Leading Driver
The dominant cause of tree cover loss in Andhra Pradesh has been identified as deforestation for permanent agriculture, accounting for a staggering 26.8 thousand hectares. Additional losses were due to:
- Infrastructure and settlements: 214 hectares
- Hard commodities: 23 hectares
- Approximately 66% of the total tree cover loss occurred in areas driven primarily by deforestation.
A Balancing Act Between Green Drives and Ground Reality
While initiatives like Vanam-Manam reflect a strong commitment to improving green cover, environmentalists emphasize the need for stricter monitoring, better land use planning, and stronger enforcement of forest protection laws to ensure these plantation drives do not mask underlying degradation trends.
