The evil effects of deforestation

• The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has published the Global Forest Resources Assessment, and points out that 31% of the land on earth is covered by forests.
• The survey found that deforestation rates vary greatly between regions. South America had the highest net loss of forest area between 2010 and 2020, followed by Africa and Southeast Asia.
• North America and Europe had a net gain of forest area during the same period.

Deforestation in India:

• 1990 to 2020: According to the Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) 2020 Remote Sensing Survey India lost an estimated 5.8 million hectares of forest,.
• Main drivers of deforestation: Agricultural expansion, logging, infrastructure development, and urbanisation.
• India’s Total forest cover: 8 lakh sq km, which is 22% of the total geographic area of the country. Of these, the Andaman and Nicobar islands have 87% of the total area.
• 2020 Report by Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI): Over 1,500 hectares of forest had been cleared for mining, hydropower projects, and other infrastructure development in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, putting several endangered species at risk.

Impact of deforestation:

• It destroys habitats and leads to the extinction or displacement of many species.
• Trees are important carbon sinks, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in their biomass.
• It contributes to climate change by releasing carbon into the atmosphere and reducing the planet’s capacity to absorb greenhouse gases.
• It has increased 11% of the global greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, SO₂ and chlorofluorocarbons).
• It can lead to soil degradation, which can reduce agricultural productivity and cause landslides and other natural disasters.
• A 1% increase in deforestation leads to a 0.93% decrease in the availability of clean drinking water in rural communities that depend on open wells and flowing streams.
• It can lead to the displacement of these communities, as well as the loss of their traditional knowledge and ways of life.
• Deforestation leads to spikes in infectious germs such as those causing diseases such as malaria and dengue, which can adversely affect humans.