India Rises To Ninth Spot Globally In Forest Area, Retains Third Position In Annual Gain: FAO Report

India has moved up to the ninth position in the world for total forest area, marking a major milestone in environmental conservation, according to the Global Forest Resources Assessment (GFRA) 2025 released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Indonesia's Bali.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, shared the development on social media, noting that India has improved its ranking from tenth to ninth since the previous assessment.

The country has also retained its third position globally in annual forest area gain, reaffirming its commitment to sustainable forest management and ecological balance.

Yadav noted that this remarkable progress underscores the success of the Government of India’s policies and programmes under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, aimed at forest protection, afforestation, and community-led environmental action.

Highlighting the Prime Minister’s call for “Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam”, Yadav said the campaign has inspired people across India to engage actively in tree plantation and protection.

"The achievement comes on the back of Modi government's planning and policies for protection and enhancement of the forest and massive plantation efforts by State Governments," Yadav said.

"PM Shri Narendra Modi ji’s call to plant 'Ek Ped Ma ke Naam', and push for environmental consciousness are building awareness and increasing involvement of communities and individuals for afforestation. This will ensure a greener tomorrow for generations to come," he added.

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