According to the Population Action International (PAI), by international standards, low forest cover countries are defined as having less than 0.1 hectares of forest cover per person and the forest cover for India in 1995 was already below this standard -- 0.07 hectares.

"When 300 million more Indians join the current population of one billion by 2025, the forest cover will shrink by a further 30 per cent to 0.049 hectares, that is, less than half the standard set interntionally", PAI said.

Pakistan's plight will be worse because its population has been increasing faster than India's. Pakistan's 1995 forest cover was 0.013 hectares per capita against Saudi Arabia's 0.012 hectares.

According to PIA, by 2025, Pakistan's forest cover is expected to be 0.003 hectare against Saudi Arabia's 0.004 hectares.

Bangladesh is also in poor shape, itsaid. Its 1995 forest cover was 0.009 hectares per person, and is expected to be 0.004 hectares in 2025.

Even in 2025, Nepal is expected to have a forest cover of 0.091 hectares -- only slightly less than the minimum recommended.