India has climbed to the ninth spot globally in total forest area and retained its third rank in annual forest area gain, according to a new report released by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

The Environment Ministry said this reflects the success of India’s large-scale afforestation and community-led forest protection efforts under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said India’s rise from the 10th to the ninth position marks a “major achievement” in sustainable forest management and ecological conservation.

The minister said that growing public participation in tree plantation campaigns, particularly under the ‘Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam’ initiative, and large-scale state government drives have contributed to this progress.

“He

See Full Page