An indicator about the health of India's forests is increasingly worrying

The value of timber and non-timber products falls across states, even as carbon stocks rise

The value of timber and non-timber forest products (NTFP) in Indian forests declined by 21.4 per cent from 2011-12 to 2021-22 at constant prices, according to a recent government report. It means a reduction in the value of forest provisioning services, which are material goods or products that people obtain directly from forest ecosystems.

 

“From year 2011-12 to 2021-22, the value of non-timber forest resources declined substantially by 49.36 per cent, decreasing from Rs 15,380 crore to Rs 7,790 crore. This significant drop reflects a contraction in the market valuation or the supply of these resources,” said the report called