Last year there was a global loss of 3.8 million hectares of forest, according to a University of Maryland report published by Global Forest Watch of the World Resources Institute.
The growing demand for wood-based products is one of the primary reasons why India imports timber. With the increasing population and urbanization, the demand for timber has been on a constant rise for the past few decades.
In Lok Sabha, The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change said that the Forest Survey of India has reported alarming numbers of forest fires detected over the past five years using the SNPP-VIIRS sensor
In a significant development regarding the forest fires in Uttarakhand, the Supreme Court of India passed an order on May 17, 2023, granting certain permits to the state government.