Combating Deforestation and Climate Change

As part of COP ’26, Deforestation takes a major front in Climate Conservation as every year over 46-
58 thousand square miles of forest, equivalent to 48 football fields of forests are disappearing every
minute. 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions are due to deforestation alone. Forests cover more
than 30% of the planet and are essential for providing food, medicine, and livelihoods to people
across the globe. There is much concern regarding the escalating degradation of forests worldwide,
but there is also hope that with the right changes in policy and perception, forests can still be saved.
That small hope is what we hope to rekindle with this discussion.

Agriculture:

Slash-and-burn agriculture is responsible for the loss of over 50 acres of land every hour. The
problem with this age-old practice is the risk of unintentional wildfires. Fire produces CO2, the
vegetation sink absorbs CO2 and stores it over years, and burning releases all of this CO2 in just a
few hours. After, farmers can use the newly fertile land for only about 2 years until the soil uses up
all the nutrients from the incinerated biomass, and the land is left abandoned or for cattle farming.

Probable solutions:

1) Embrace fire, don’t fear it: Indigenous burning practices like prescribed burning and
controlled burning in patches should be coupled with latest technologies like using long-
term chemical fire retardants (Ammonium Polyphosphate).
2) Thousands of dollars that go to fire “fighting” federal agencies should be directed towards
prevention efforts rather than emergency suppression.
3) Tracking fire patterns over larger forest patches can help predict the nature and scale of
destruction each fire might bring.
4) Education efforts for farmers about latest tech and practices along with the essential tools
should be felicitated by the state.

Reduced Tree-cover:

1) Pressurizing government to become a part of global forest conservation efforts like FIP and
WFF.
2) Extend a reasonable green tax on environment extensive products like hand soaps, coffee
pods, toothpaste etc-.
3) Innovative marketing campaigns like “Cocoa for Climate”, or “Gorilla Coffee Alliance” to give
back to the environment.
4) Permission to cut only those trees which are 5-7 years or older with proper jurisdiction and
after considering all alternatives. Policy to be kept in check by Municipalities along with local
climate conservation organisations.
5) Larger companies that seek to clear forests or parts of forest for mining or commercial
purposes, must be given a waiting of period of 7-10 years to plant 5 times the no. of trees
they seek to destroy BEFORE clearing the given land. Eg- Aditya Birla Group seeking to cut
2,00,000 trees for a diamond mine in Bunder, MP.
 6) Representation of local individuals living near forests in forest-related decision-making
process and be given a voice.
7) Government regulated paper supplies should be 100% recycled.
8) Artificial Bat Homes in deforested areas can lead to natural recovery of forests to some
extent as bats bring in seeds and allow growth.
9) Population control efforts- two-child policies, child tax etc-

Community Efforts:

1) Restructuring EVS as a subject for younger students to become more practice oriented,
organise clean up and plantation drives, encourage green practices and even healthy
competitions (Carbon Footprint challenge etc-) between different schools in an area.
2) College students can be given extra credits for their conservation efforts, creating eco-
groups and becoming responsible leaders.
3) A green vigilante app that provides information about NGOs, voluntary organisations, funds,
conservation experts in the area. Tracks ongoing projects that include clearing lands with
permission. Allows for anonymous reporting of illegal logging and loading.

Group Members:
Pournima Rajhansa
Anurag Hodbe
Mayur Walimbe
Devashish Agrawal
S. Shanta