Forest Cover Falls by 11% in Uttarakhand’s Kumaon Region Since 1972

Uttarakhand Forest Cover: A new study has found major changes in the land of the Kumaon Himalayas in Uttarakhand over the last five decades. Forests, farmland and lakes have lost a large part of their area, while grasslands and human settlements have grown.

The research covered 556.23 square kilometres of the Kumaon Lesser Himalayas between 1972 and 2020. It found that forest cover fell by 11.08 percentage points of the total study area. Agricultural land declined by 17.04 percentage points, while water bodies lost 0.95 percentage points.

The study was carried out by Kalpana Gururani and Deepak Pant from Soban Singh Jeena University in Almora and Anoop Kumar Singh from the University of Lucknow. It was published in Discover Geoscience on November 9 under the title Comparative modelling assessment of land use and land cover data for the last five decades in Kumaon Lesser Himalaya.

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The research area includes several well-known lakes such as Nainital, Bhimtal, Khurpatal, Naukuchiatal, Sattal, Pannatal, Harishtal and Lohakhamtal.

How Researchers Studied the Changes

The team used satellite pictures taken in six different years: 1972, 1981, 1992, 2002, 2013 and 2020. They used Landsat satellite images for the earlier years and Sentinel-2B images for 2020. These images helped them compare how the same areas had changed over time.

The researchers divided the land into six categories: forests, agricultural land, grasslands, settlements, barren land and water bodies. They also used computer-based methods to study the images and identify changes in the land.

The study area has elevations ranging from 474 metres to 2,581 metres. Its slopes also vary greatly, with some reaching 79.06 degrees. This makes satellite mapping difficult because steep hills and shadows can affect image quality.

Major Changes in Forests, Farms and Lakes

In 1972, forests covered 409.01 sq km of the study area. By 2020, this had fallen to 347.37 sq km, meaning 61.64 sq km of forest cover was lost. Agricultural land suffered an even bigger decline, shrinking from 129.12 sq km to just 34.43 sq km.

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Water bodies also became smaller. Their total area dropped from 7.37 sq km in 1972 to 2.09 sq km in 2020.

Grasslands recorded the biggest increase during this period. Their area grew from only 3.45 sq km to 150.26 sq km, adding 146.81 sq km.

The other changes included:

Settlement areas increased by 5.13 sq km, while barren land grew by 9.74 sq km.

Why is the Landscape Changing?

The researchers linked these changes to farming being abandoned, people moving from villages to cities, deforestation and growing tourism. As fewer people continue farming, agricultural fields are slowly turning into grasslands. Forest loss has also contributed to the growth of open land.

The study found that around 96.06 sq km of forest land became grassland between 1972 and 2020. Another 4.72 sq km turned barren and 4.30 sq km became settlement areas. Around 48.11 sq km of agricultural land also changed into grassland.

Growing tourism and urban development have increased the need for water in the Nainital region. More water is now needed for drinking, farming and commercial activities. Forest degradation and human-wildlife conflict have also created problems for local farmers.

The researchers compared their findings with Uttarakhand government and Bhuvan portal records. Government data showed that agricultural land in Nainital district fell from 47,233 hectares in 2006 to 44,005 hectares in 2015. But government records showed an increase in forest cover from 2,304 sq km in 2006 to 2,862 sq km in 2016. The researchers said this difference could be because government records also count plantations as forests.

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Researchers Warn of Environmental Damage

Kalpana Gururani said the changes could affect wildlife, farming and water supplies. She explained:

“This transformation in the Lesser Himalayas of Kumaon is not limited merely to maps or statistics; the decline in forest cover could impact biodiversity. Abandoning agriculture may affect local food production, while a reduction in water bodies could exacerbate issues related to drinking water and irrigation. The expansion of grasslands, for instance, cannot always be considered a positive development — especially when it occurs as a result of forest loss or the abandonment of farmland.”

The researchers have called for regular monitoring of land changes using satellite images, government land records and information from local people. They also want forest officials and local authorities to identify areas facing deforestation and rapid construction. Better forest protection, water conservation, farming support and controlled urban development are needed to protect the fragile Himalayan environment.