Deforestation and global warming are interconnected, threatening ecological and economic security. Clearing forests for development causes biodiversity loss and accelerates climate change, affecting vulnerable communities. Implementing legal frameworks and afforestation programs is challenging, requiring robust policy enforcement and community participation.
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Picture Courtesy: Indian Express
A new Study titled "Tropical deforestation is associated with considerable heat-related mortality" was recently published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Deforestation-induced warming caused an extra 28,000 heat-related deaths per year in the tropics between 2001 and 2020.
A total of 1.6 million square km of tropical forest area was lost globally between 2001 and 2020. Tropical Central and South America experienced the greatest forest loss, followed by Southeast Asia and tropical Africa.
Deforestation increases warming through two mechanisms:
Areas of forest loss in the tropics saw an average temperature increase of 0.7 degrees Celsius between 2001 and 2020, while areas that maintained forest cover only warmed by 0.2 degrees Celsius during the same period.
Photosynthesis allows forests to act as terrestrial carbon sinks, removing greenhouse gases (GHGs) and producing oxygen in return.
Annually, forests remove an estimated 16 billion tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere, which is around half the CO2 released from burning fossil fuels. Tropical forests sequester more CO2 than boreal and temperate forests combined. (Source: World Bank)
Trees influence local and regional water cycles by capturing and releasing water through transpiration, which contributes to rainfall patterns. Help maintain water and soil quality and prevent floods. Thus, forests function as a natural thermostat, protecting the planet from overheating.
Agricultural Expansion: Forests are cleared for high-value cash crops such as soybean and palm oil, and for cattle ranching. For example, demand for land for commercial crops and shifting cultivation (Jhum farming) in the North-East leads to large-scale forest clearing.
Logging for Commercial Use: Global demand for wood and paper products leads to extensive logging, cutting down strong, fast-growing trees, which have the greatest capacity for carbon dioxide absorption.
Urbanization and Infrastructure Development: Increasing Global population (over 8.2 billion) demands land for urban expansion, residences, businesses, and industries.
Mining Activities: Rising demand for minerals and rare earth metals drives increased mining operations in forests, especially in biodiverse regions like the Amazon, disrupting ecosystems and polluting the environment.
Forest Fires: Sometimes fires, particularly in tropical regions, are intentionally set to clear land quickly and cheaply for agriculture or other uses, which goes out of control (eg. California wildfires).
Climate Change and Pest Infestations: Altered weather patterns, including extreme events like wildfires, droughts, and flooding, destroy large forest areas and increase their vulnerability to pests and diseases.
Socio-Economic Factors: Poverty and limited economic opportunities drive local communities to clear forests for agricultural land or logging as a means of survival.
Increased Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Deforestation accounts for about 11% of total global GHG emissions annually, nearly equivalent to emissions from all the world's vehicles combined. (Source: EOS Data)
Carbon Dioxide Release: Every year, around 4.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide are released into the Earth’s atmosphere as a result of deforestation. (Source: EOS Data)
Methane (CH4) Emissions: Deforested lands experience frequent floods, leading to waterlogged conditions that prevent oxygen from reaching the soil, creating anaerobic fermentation, which produces methane as a byproduct.
Shift from Carbon Sinks to Sources: Tropical rainforests, especially in Southeast Asia, have already become net sources of CO2 emissions due to forest loss.
Changes in Earth's Albedo: Deforestation alters the landscape and reduces the reflectivity (albedo) of the Earth's surface, causing more solar energy to be absorbed as heat, intensifying global warming.
Initiatives Taken at the Global Level to Curb Deforestation
REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation): United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) developed REDD+ as a voluntary climate mitigation framework to encourage developing countries to reduce GHG emissions from deforestation, and provide financial incentives for these efforts.
Bali Action Plan: Emphasise that member countries should enact policies that incentivise emissions reduction from deforestation and forest degradation in developing nations.
Billion Tree Campaign: Launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to address climate change and other sustainability challenges. It surpassed its target of 1 billion by planting over 12 billion trees.
Amazon Fund: Brazil established to attract donations for investments in preventing, monitoring, and combating deforestation, and promoting the sustainable use of the Amazon rainforest.
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: Signed by nearly 200 countries, recognizes the rights and contributions of Indigenous peoples in protecting nature.
National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC): Comprises eight missions focusing on specific areas such as solar energy, energy efficiency, water, sustainable agriculture, Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India, human health, and strategic knowledge for climate change.
State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC): Thirty-three States/Union Territories (UTs) have prepared their SAPCCs in line with the NAPCC, addressing state-specific climate change issues.
Pledge for Net-Zero Emissions by 2070: India committed to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 at the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP 26).
National Forest Policy: Recommended one-third of the country's total land area be under forest cover and emphasized scientific conservation.
Environment Protection Act, 1986: Empowers the Central Government to take necessary measures for environmental protection and pollution control.
National Agroforestry Policy (2014): Promotes tree plantation on farmland to enhance agricultural productivity, improve soil fertility, and provide additional income for farmers.
Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA): States and UTs utilize this fund for compensatory afforestation to offset forest land diverted for developmental projects, with 90% of the funds allocated to states.
Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) Program: Restore and promote mangroves through reforestation and afforestation measures along coastlines, enhancing climate resilience and protecting coastal habitats.
Unintended Consequences of Large-Scale Planting Projects: Large-scale tree-planting, such as in China, has shown unintended negative consequences.
Introduction of Invasive Species: Some tree-planting projects introduced fast-growing invasive species, which damaged native forests and reduced biodiversity.
Conflicts with Local Communities: Tree-planting projects sometimes lead to the displacement of local communities/Indigenous peoples or reduce their traditional use of forest resources.
Delayed Benefits of Reforestation: Positive climate impacts of afforestation and reforestation —take several decades—compared to the immediate benefits of protecting existing mature forests. Therefore, protecting forests remains crucial for current climate mitigation.
Sustainable Land Use and Agricultural Practices: Integrating trees with crops and livestock increases agricultural productivity, improves soil fertility, and provides economic benefits while protecting against harsh weather. National Agroforestry Policy (2014) promotes this.
Strengthening Policies and Legal Frameworks: Global cooperation through agreements like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), its Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement to address climate change and deforestation.
Technological Innovations for Monitoring: Utilizing satellite imaging and remote sensing technologies to improve forest monitoring. The Forest Survey of India (FSI) uses such technology for forest fire detection and monitoring.
Community Involvement and Education: Programs like Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) and the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY) involve local communities in protecting and managing forests.
Economic Incentives and Sustainable Development: Providing economic incentives for forest preservation, such as carbon credits and commodity certification programs, to encourage communities and industries to maintain forest cover.
Implement and Strengthen REDD+ Frameworks: Colombia's success in preserving over a million hectares of natural forests under the REDD+ framework demonstrates its potential.
Explore Multi-Donor Funds for Forest Protection: Brazil's Amazon Fund attracts international donations for preventing, monitoring, and combating deforestation.
Adopt Deforestation-Free Product Policies: European Parliament's proposal for deforestation-free products, aimed at reducing deforestation linked to agricultural expansion in supply chains, presents a model for India.
Prioritize Diverse Native Species in Reforestation: Learning from China's experience, where monocultures led to biodiversity loss and soil degradation, India should prioritize planting diverse native species to ensure ecological resilience and biodiversity benefits.
Source: Indian Express
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Deforestation is not merely the loss of trees; it is a complex socio-economic issue with ecological consequences. Critically analyze. 250 words |
Agroforestry is a land-use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland, helping to combine agricultural and forestry technologies to create more diverse, productive, and sustainable land-use systems.
Afforestation is planting trees in an area where there was no previous forest, while reforestation is replanting trees in a forest that has been depleted.
A carbon sink is any natural or artificial reservoir that accumulates and stores some carbon-containing chemical compound for an indefinite period and thereby lowers the concentration of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
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