Authors : Pinki

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 4 - April

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/yc5hkhyc

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/mwn77d22

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26apr994

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : India has committed to enhance its forest and tree cover to achieve a target of 33% of its geographical area designated as forested under National Forest Policy, 1988 and aim to establish an extra carbon absorption capacity of 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by the year 2030 under Paris Agreement. Analyzing convergence patterns is essential for evaluating the uniform effectiveness of national policies and identifying any existing regional disparities. This study examines whether regional disparities in forest cover among Indian states have reduced over the period 2001-2023 by employing sigma and beta convergence frameworks commonly used in growth economics literature and found substantial evidence of absolute and sigma convergence. We utilize state-level forest cover biennial data from the Indian State of Forest Reports (ISFR) to test for two kinds of convergence.

Keywords : Absolute Convergence, Sigma Convergence, Regional Disparities, Forest Area, CO2 Emissions

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