Written by Anisha Ghosh Kolkata | September 17, 2025 12:57 PM IST 2 min readThe worst declines were observed in the Eastern Himalaya, Western Ghats and Indo-Gangetic Plain (file/representative image)A new study by researchers at IIT Kharagpur has found that India’s forests are becoming less healthy, even though the country is growing greener overall.The research, led by Professor Jayanarayanan Kuttippurath and Dr Rahul Kashyap, reveals that much of the greening in India comes from crops grown on irrigated land, not forests. Many forests are showing a drop in health because their ability to perform photosynthesis — the process plants use to convert light into energy — has declined.According to the study, the photosynthetic efficiency of forests fell by 5% between 2010-2019 compared to the previous decade (2000-2009). The worst declines were observed in the Eastern Himalaya, Western Ghats and Indo-Gangetic Plain.“Much of the decrease in forest health is contributed by global warming-driven reduced soil moisture and higher air temperatures. Wildfires and landslides are the other natural factors. However, deforestation, mining, and other development activities also contribute to the decline in forest health,” explained Prof Kuttippurath.The report warns that only 16% of forests are exhibiting high strength and resilience, a worrying statistic because weaker forests are less capable of maintaining biodiversity, supplying timber, or functioning as reliable carbon sinks.“It also threatens biodiversity and pushes them towards extinction. Degradation of forests in ecologically fragile regions can lead to more frequent climatic extremes in the future,” said Rahul Kashyap, lead author of the study.The study further cautions that if climate change and human activity continue unchecked, India’s forests may fail to store enough carbon, undermining efforts to balance rising atmospheric carbon dioxide.Story continues below this adProf Kuttippurath added, “It is imperative to avoid misconstruing forest-based climate mitigation as a solution to current anthropogenic carbon emission levels. In the future, accelerated deforestation and forest degradation due to changing climate, rising extremes, agricultural expansion, plantation growth, and rapid developmental activities can lead to savannisation of Indian forests.”The researchers emphasised urgent steps: preserving indigenous forests, practising sustainable forest management, scientific afforestation, reducing carbon emissions, and adopting advanced carbon capture technologies. These measures are considered vital for achieving India’s net-zero emissions target by 2070.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:IITwestern ghats