Guwahati, May 22 -- India lost 18,200 hectares of primary forest in 2024, up from 17,700 hectares in 2023, according to new data released by Global Forest Watch (GFW), a global network of over 100 organizations monitoring forest change.

GFW reported that India lost 3,48,000 hectares of humid primary forest between 2002 and 2024-representing about 5.4% of the country's total humid primary forests. This accounts for 15% of India's total tree cover loss during the same period.

From 2019 to 2024 alone, India lost 1,03,000 hectares (1.6%) of humid primary forest, contributing to 14% of its total tree cover loss during those years.

Annual losses continued steadily: India lost 16,900 hectares in 2022, 18,300 hectares in 2021, 17,000 hectares ...