Mumbai: A recent study found that between 2015 and 2019, India has lost 18 square kilometers (6.9 square miles) of forest for every square km (0.3 sq mi) gained.

According to Anadolu Agency, the study, conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), discovered that all states in India "experienced a net loss in forest cover," as stated by the institute. The researchers utilized Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis on digital forest cover maps of India during the five-year period to reach these findings.

Raaj Ramsankaran, a professor of civil engineering at IIT Bombay, led the study along with his collaborators, Associate Professor Vasu Sathyakumar and Sridharan Gowtham of SASTRA Deemed University. They employed a new framework to assess forest connectivity at both the state and national levels, utilizing remote sensing data and open-source digital tools.

The framework developed by the researchers can be used to 'analyze the impact of afforestation efforts, determine the resilience of different forest types to deforestation, and identify the states undergoing severe changes in forest cover,' the study noted.