According to the latest India State of Forest Report 2023, The ecologically sensitive Western Ghats recorded a net loss of over 58 sq km of forest cover in the last ten years. Climate change, increasing global warming, natural habitat loss, desertification and other factors have contributed negatively. Of the 45 Ghat districts in six states, decadal forest loss has been recorded in 25. The districts which lost maximum forest cover are Nilgiris, Idukki, Pune and Shivamogga.
In the Western Ghats, very dense forest increased by over 3,465 sq km, but moderately dense forest and open forest decreased by 1,043 sq km and 2,480 sq km, respectively, in the same period, resulting in a net loss of 58 sq km forest cover, accordingto the report prepared by the Forest Survey of India.
A significant characteristic of the Western Ghats is the exceptionally high level of biological diversity and endemism. This mountain chain is recognized as one of the world’s eight ‘hottest hotspots’ of biological diversity along with Sri Lanka. The forests of the Western Ghats include some of the best representatives of non equatorial tropical evergreen forests in the world.