Nagaland Records India's Highest Forest Cover Loss, Loses 795 Sq Km in 10 Years

Nagaland has recorded the steepest decline in forest cover in India over a decade, losing 795 square kilometres of forest area between 2013 and 2023, raising concerns over deforestation, biodiversity loss and the future of the state’s natural resources.

The figures, cited from the India State of Forest Report, were highlighted by Development Commissioner and Principal Secretary for Forest, Environment and Climate Change Y Kikheto Sema at a state-level workshop in Kohima on Wednesday.

The loss represents around 5 per cent of Nagaland’s forest area. Sema pointed out that the state lost 235 square kilometres of forest cover between 2019 and 2021 alone, attributing the decline not just to population growth but, more significantly, to rampant deforestation.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of a two-day workshop organised under the Forest and Biodiversity Management in the Himalayas (Nagaland) project, Sema stressed that protecting forests would require stronger participation from local communities.

He urged residents to take greater responsibility for conserving forests, biodiversity, flora and fauna, warning that continued environmental destruction could affect future generations.

Highlighting the importance of Article 371A, which provides special constitutional safeguards over land and its resources in Nagaland, Sema said landownership rights should not become an obstacle to development and environmental conservation.

He noted that the government owns less than four per cent of forest land in the state, with most of the land under community ownership. He called for a balance between traditional land rights, development and ecological protection.

“ Development should not stop because of Article 371A,” he said, emphasising the need for communities and the government to work together.

Sema also highlighted the importance of externally funded initiatives, including German development assistance through KfW, and the Compensatory Afforestation Fund in strengthening forest management.

He called on all 64 villages covered under the project to become ambassadors of biodiversity conservation and actively protect their forests and natural resources.

He stressed that forest conservation was not merely an environmental responsibility but essential for safeguarding Nagaland’s future.