DEFORESTATION

8/12/2022
A GLIMPSE MORE THAN THE WOODS

0|Page
Table of Contents
DEFORESTATION.................................................................................................................................................3
Why are Forests Important?.......................................................................................................................3
The Data behind Deforestation...................................................................................................................3
CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION..............................................................................................................................4
PRIMARY CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION...........................................................................................................4
DESERTIFICATION OF LAND................................................................................................................................5
PANDEMIC DUE TO DEFORESTATION.................................................................................................................5
CURRENT SITUATION..........................................................................................................................................6
GLOBAL DEFORESTATION STATISTICS................................................................................................................7
CULTURAL EFFECTS..............................................................................................................................................8
Tourism and deforestation..........................................................................................................................8
Jobs and Deforestation...............................................................................................................................8
BIO DIVERSITY IMPACT.......................................................................................................................................9
Loss of habitat............................................................................................................................................9
Global warming..........................................................................................................................................9
Chagas Disease.........................................................................................................................................10
IMPACTS OF DEFORESTATION ON FUTURE GENERATION...............................................................................10
Effect on Humans.....................................................................................................................................10
GROUP 1
Effect on economy....................................................................................................................................10
Anjali Swain
Effect on Climate......................................................................................................................................11
Arshad M.
Effect on Wildlife.....................................................................................................................................11
Abhishek
NATIONAL MEASURES ON DEFORESTATION....................................................................................................13
Manas Raghuwanshi
SOME OTHER SCHEMES....................................................................................................................................13
Monishika Singh
Nagar Van Udaan Scheme........................................................................................................................13
Nachiket Deshpande
Green Skill Development Programme......................................................................................................13
Praful Patidar
ACTS PASSED BY THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT..................................................................................................14
The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.........................................................................................................14
Shreya Mahule
Forest Conservation Act, 1980.................................................................................................................14
Suhani Aggarwal
Amended Forest Act, 1992.......................................................................................................................14
Swapnil Tripathi
INTERNATIONAL MEASURES ON DEFORESTATION..........................................................................................14
COP26 UN Climate Change Conference.................................................................................................15
REDD.................................................................................................................................................................15
GLOBAL FOREST GOALS 2030...........................................................................................................................15
DEVELOPING VERSUS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES...............................................................................................16
1|Page
 How much do people in rich countries contribute to deforestation overseas?.........................................16
How do these two measures compare? Are they causing more deforestation elsewhere than they are
regenerating in forests at home?...............................................................................................................17
CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................................19
How can we stop deforestation?...............................................................................................................19
What has been done so far?......................................................................................................................19
What you can do ?....................................................................................................................................20
REFEFRENCE......................................................................................................................................................21

2|Page
 DEFORESTATION
Deforestation can be defined as the large-scale removal of trees from forests (or other lands) for the facilitation of
human activities. It is a serious environmental concern since it can result in the loss of biodiversity, damage to natural
habitats, disturbances in the water cycle, and soil erosion. Deforestation is also a contributor to climate change and
global warming.

Why are Forests Important?

● Forests combat climate change by absorbing greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide) and acting as a carbon
storehouse.
● They are a source of oxygen, food, clean water, and medicine.
● They play a vital role in the water cycle – they work to add water to the atmosphere via the process of
transpiration.
● Forests help mitigate the disastrous effects of floods by acting as a floodwater sink. Therefore, deforestation
also increases the vulnerability of the landmass to certain natural calamities.

 The large mass of trees in forest areas combats soil erosion by providing mechanical support to the
soil.
● Forests are home to over 50% of all known species on the planet. They account for over 80% of the land-
based biodiversity. Globally, forests are home to approximately 30,00,00,000 human beings.
● They are also a source of raw material for many commercially important products such as paper, wood, and
fabric.
● Approximately 1.6 billion jobs are forest-dependent. Forests also account for approximately 1% of the world’s
GDP (gross domestic product).

The Data behind Deforestation

● Forests cover approximately 31% of the total land surface of the Earth.
● Tropical forests harbour over half of all land-based animal and plant species in the world.
● Between the years 2000 and 2012, over 568 million acres of forest have been claimed by deforestation.
● Approximately 9 million acres of virgin tropical forest were cut down in the year 2018.
● The Amazon rainforest, which is the source of 20% of the world’s oxygen supply, loses approximately 1.32
acres of its area every minute due to deforestation.

3|Page
 CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION
Direct causes of deforestation are agricultural expansion, wood extraction (e.g., logging or wood harvest for domestic
fuel or charcoal), and infrastructure expansion such as road building and urbanization.

“Deforestation, clearance, clearcutting or clearing is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land which is
then converted to a non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches,
or urban use. The most concentrated deforestation occurs in tropical rainforests.”

Over the last century, the forest cover around the globe has been significantly compromised, leaving the green cover
down to an all-time low of about 30 percent. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), an estimated 18 million acres (7.3 million hectares) of forest are lost each year.

PRIMARY CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION

Agricultural Activities

As earlier mentioned in the overview, agricultural activities are one of the significant factors affecting deforestation.
According to the FAO, agriculture leads to around 80% of deforestation.

Due to the overgrowing demand for food products, a huge number of trees are felled to grow crops, and 33% of
agriculture-caused deforestation is because of subsistence agriculture.

Livestock Ranching

Livestock is believed to be responsible for about 14% of global deforestation. Farmers often clear the land by cutting
down trees and burning them to raise livestock and grow food. They continue to use the property until the soil is
completely degraded and repeat the same process on new woodland. 

Eventually, it’ll reforest, but it will take many years to return to its original condition. Surprisingly, over the past 40
years, the forest area has reduced by almost 40 percent, and during the same period, pasture regions and cattle
populations have grown significantly and rapidly.

Illegal Logging

Apart from this, wood-based industries like paper, match-sticks, furniture, etc. also need a substantial amount of wood
supply. Wood is used as fuel, both directly and indirectly.
Therefore trees are chopped for meeting the demand for supplies. Firewood and charcoal are examples of wood being
used as fuel. Some of these industries thrive on illegal wood cutting and felling of trees.

Urbanization

Further, to gain access to these forests, the construction of roads is undertaken; here again, trees are chopped to build
roads. Overpopulation too directly affects forest covers, as with the expansion of cities, more land is needed to
establish housing and settlements. Therefore, forest land is reclaimed.

4|Page
DESERTIFICATION OF LAND

Some of the other factors that lead to deforestation are also partly natural and partly anthropogenic, like desertification
of land. It occurs due to land abuse, making it unfit for the growth of trees. Many industries in petrochemicals release
their waste into rivers, which results in soil erosion and make it unfit to grow plants and trees.

Paper

According to the Environment Paper Network, the paper that’s thrown away each year accounts for approximately 640
million trees. America, China, Canada, Japan, constitute more than that of the world’s paper production, and
that is 400 million tons a year.

 Forest Fires

Another valid example would be forest blazes; hundreds of trees are lost each year due to forest fires in various
portions of the world. It happens due to extreme warm summers and milder winters. Fires, whether caused by man or
nature, results in a massive loss of forest cover.

PANDEMIC DUE TO DEFORESTATION

The number of diseases spreading from animals to humans is increasing day by day. The host of the pandemic
coronavirus is bats, and the host of monkeypox virus are various species of squirrels, rats and other small mammals. If
we look at the background, there are many diseases like plague, swine flu, bird flu, malaria, dengue, and some others
which have been and are transmitted from animals to humans.
There are many reasons for this, such as large-scale deforestation, climate change. It is a fact that deforestation can be
a strong cause of infectious disease transmission. Similarly, in Sabah, Malaysia, malaria outbreaks occur due to
clearing of forests for palm and other plantations. Clearing forests for palm cultivation (commercial farming) in
Liberia has led to spread the Lassa virus among humans, when they come into contact with food or objects
contaminated with urine of virus-carrying rodents from forest. This virus spreads the same kind of disease caused by
the Ebola virus among humans. In Liberia, 36% of people infected with the Lassa virus died.

Similarly, the mosquito that spreads the Zika virus is found in the forests of Uganda and could sicken millions of
people. This virus spreads rapidly in cities. The more we degrade and clear its forest habitats, the more likely it is that
we will find ourselves in situations where epidemics or pandemics of infectious diseases occur.

This is because almost all the countries of the world are clearing forests at a very fast rate for corporate development
and commercial agriculture. According to a 2020 report by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United
Nations, 178 million hectares of forests have been killed in the last three decades, in the last five years at the rate of 10
million hectares per year.

Wild animals are also being displaced on a large scale due to rapid deforestation. The animals displaced from the
forests come closer to the human population along with their diseases and viruses. This puts humans at high risk of
being exposed to the diseases of wild animals. Sometimes, due to lack of proper medicine, these diseases spread from
local to national and international levels.
Instead of killing forests, we should protect, restore and grow them to avoid displacing animals. By increasing the area
under forests, wild animals should be provided with safe habitats

5|Page
 CURRENT SITUATION

Saving The World’s Forests: Deforestation Facts & Statistics in 2022

Deforestation has always been associated predominantly with paper production, and, by extension, printing. We cuT
down trees to make paper, right?

Yes... and no.

While logging may have its roots in the production of paper goods, it has become a relatively small percentage of the
deforestation equation.

According to a 2016 report by the Union of Concerned Scientists, paper and wood products account for approximately
10% of total deforestation.

The other 90% of deforestation comes from:

● cattle ranchers
● soybean farmers
● and palm oil plantations
● Below we will look at the current state of deforestation, what’s being done to stop the wholesale destruction of
virgin forests, and how it relates to paper and printing.

Let's start with a snapshot of current deforestation facts and statistics.

6|Page
GLOBAL DEFORESTATION STATISTICS
● 31% of the earth’s surface is covered by forests, approximately 4.06 billion hectares
● Only 18% of the world's forests are on land protected from deforestation.
● Over 420 million hectares of forest have been lost since 1990.
● Between 1990-2010 an average of 15.5 million hectares of forest were destroyed every year.
● Between 2010-2015 12 million hectares of forest were destroyed every year giving a 22.58% decline for 2010-
2015 compared to 1990-2010.
● Between 2015-2020 10 million hectares of forest were destroyed every year giving a 35.48% decline for 2015-
2020 compared to 1990-2010 and 16.67% decline compared to 2010-2015.
● 2,400 trees are cut down each minute.
● By the time you finish reading this sentence, another three hectares of forest have been cut down.
● 25.8 million hectares of forest were lost in 2020, double the amount of forested land lost in 2001.

Tropical deforestation contributes about 20% of annual global greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions.
Prior to 2019, greenhouse gas emission from tropical forest degradation was seriously underestimated.
Every second, a forest the size of a football field is cut down.
14,800 square miles of forest are lost every year. This is roughly the same size as Switzerland.
In 2019, approximately 9 million acres of rainforests were destroyed.
Deforestation causes approximately $2 trillion to $4.5 trillion in lost biodiversity each year.
4.2% of the world’s tree cover loss was between 1990 and 2020.
By 2030, there may be only 10% of the world’s rainforests left.
Agriculture is responsible for approximately 80% of tropical forest loss.
12 million hectares of tropical tree cover was lost in 2020.
31% of modern diseases are a result of deforestation.
137 different species of plants, animals, and birds are lost every single day due to global forest loss.
Approximately 1,400 tree species are currently listed as critically endangered.
90 percent of people who live in extreme poverty depend on forests for their survival.
More than 86 million green jobs are provided by forested regions.

40 percent of the tropical deforestation that occurred between 2000 and 2010 is a result of commercial agriculture like
cattle ranching and oil palm plantations.
Brazil increased its greenhouse gas emissions by 9% in 2021, despite being in an economic recession.
At our current rate, all rainforests will be gone in 77 years.
The Amazon Rainforest now emits more carbon dioxide than it absorbs.
50,000 species are lost each year as a result of deforestation.
25% of Western drugs and pharmaceuticals come from rainforest ingredients.
25% of all cancer fighting drugs come from the rainforest.
75% of tropical rainforests have lost the ability to properly recover from wildfires and drought.

Loss of the world’s forests in the Carpathian Mountains in Europe.

7|Page
 IMPACTS OF DEFORESTATION ON OTHER
SOCIAL ISSUE

CULTURAL EFFECTS

Tourism and deforestation.

The main reason we fly overseas is to look at the beautiful sceneries and to be part of the nature. If the trees are all cut
down and all that is left is barren land no would want to visit that place. 100% of the people surveyed supported this
statement. If there is a decrease in the number of tourists then economy of the country will be affected and there is a
great chance of a recession. If this were to occur the residents of the countries will lose their jobs and the country will
be struck by poverty. 

Jobs and Deforestation

Many people work in the industries that cut down trees. If there were to be a law placed on the ban of deforestation
then all of the employees will lose their job. This will result in an increase in poverty because people won’t be able to
support their families. There will also be a global affect due to this. If there are jobs lost in one place than this will
cause a decrease in the amount of wood products produced around the world. If there is a huge reduction in the
production then more companies will close down causing more people to lose their jobs. Essentially this will have a
domino effect. It was surprising to see how many people were unaware of this issue. The survey supported this as 80%
of the people believed that jobs are less important than deforestation.

8|Page
 BIO DIVERSITY IMPACT
It was found from the surveys that most frequently suggested impacts that deforestation has on the environment are
extinction of animals, loss of habitat, pollution and global warming .

Extinction of animals

There are about 7% of tropical forests around the world even though this might sound like a small number it contains
about half of all the species on earth. Many of the species that live there have microbiological connection to the forest
so they can become extinct even if there is a small disturbance. The animals that do survive after the forest has been
cut down will die painfully. People may disagree about whether the extinction of other species through human action
is an ethical issue, but there is little doubt about the practical problems that extinction poses.

Loss of habitat

The high temperatures and heavy rains in the tropical forests wash all the nutrients from the soil. The fertility that
exists in tropical forests is not provided by the soil, all the nutrients of a tropical forest are from the plants and the
decaying plant and animal matter on the forest floor. When a region is deforested for agricultural, the trees and plants
are usually burned to make a nourishing layer of ash. After a few years the nutrients in the soil is lost which makes it
impossible to grow crops. Once this happens this area is turned into a cow pasture. This will make the regrowth of the
forest impossible.  

Global warming

Pollution is a major problem all over the world. Pollution releases a lot of carbon into the atmosphere. The trees in
rainforests make the biggest contribution in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and replacing it with
oxygen. If all the trees are cut down the amount of carbon in the atmosphere will increase eventually heating up the
earth.  This will cause an increase in temperature and will make it difficult to cool down as there are no trees around. 
Also, this will lead to an increase in Global Warming which will destroy the other environments around the world.
Examples are the melting ice caps and the bush fires .

9|Page
Chagas Disease

Deforestation impacts the ecology of Chagas disease. This illness is transmitted by blood-sucking bugs, and is a major
cause of heart disease in Latin America. It’s an infectious disease caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is
found in the faeces of a triatomine bug often called reduviid bug. The symptom include fever, and swelling of eyelids.
Chagas disease has been described as a disease of poverty, because its transmission is facilitated by substandard
housing. Bugs enter in through cracks, screenless windows, thatched roofs and adobe walls. It is believed that human
encroachment on the forest has increased risk of transmission. Specifically, the Palma Real (royal palm) is key to the
transmission of Chagas disease; it is found in areas of high human activity, as it is often left standing when the
surrounding forest is removed, possibly because it is hard to cut and because its leaves are used for thatching. The
crown of the Palma Real houses an entire insect community as well as birds, mammals and reptiles. The kissing bug is
one such insect that transmits the disease to mammals and then to humans

IMPACTS OF DEFORESTATION ON FUTURE

GENERATION
The loss of trees and other vegetation can cause climate change, desertification, soil erosion, fewer crops, flooding,
increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and a host of problems for indigenous people .

Effect on Humans

Millions of people rely directly on forests as their home or for making a living. But the risks from deforestation go
even wider. Trees absorb and store carbon dioxide. If forests are cleared, or even disturbed, they release carbon
dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
Over the past two decades, a growing body of scientific evidence suggests that deforestation, by triggering a complex
cascade of events, creates the conditions for a range of deadly pathogens—such as Nipa and Lassa viruses, and the
parasites that cause malaria and Lyme disease—to spread to people.
Deforestation also degrades soil quality and is a major cause of the world’s rapid desertification. Such weather patterns
and environmental changes contribute to the plummeting of the agricultural production. Humans are hit by food
shortage due to the low agricultural products.

Effect on economy

10 | P a g e
For these people, therefore, deforestation means lost income, lost subsistence, and even a lost home. Sometimes
commodity production and land conversion from forests to agriculture provide the poor with opportunities for work,
yet they can also be associated with poor working conditions and labour exploitation.
Direct causes of deforestation are agricultural expansion, wood extraction (e.g., logging or wood harvest for domestic
fuel or charcoal), and infrastructure expansion such as road building and urbanization.

Effect on Climate

Trees absorb and store carbon dioxide. If forests are cleared, or even disturbed, they release carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases. Forest loss and damage is the cause of around 10% of global warming. There’s simply no way we
can fight the climate crisis if we don’t stop deforestation.
At current rates, they will vanish altogether in 100 years. As fast as the trees go, the chance of slowing or reversing
climate change becomes slimmer. Tropical deforestation causes carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, to linger in
the atmosphere and trap solar radiation.
Focusing on urban, industrialised regions have found that excess heat exposure can increase all-cause mortality, heat-
related illnesses, and occupational injuries. However, little research has examined how deforestation and climate
change can adversely affect work conditions and population health in low latitude, industrialising countries.
Heat exposure from deforestation and climate change has already started affecting populations in low latitude,
industrialising countries, and future global warming indicates substantial health impacts in these regions.

Effect on Wildlife

Wildlife is increasingly becoming threatened by human activities and changing climates. The IUCN Red List of
Threatened species is the world’s most comprehensive information source of the global extinction risk of animals,
fungi, and plant species. It lists species and classifies how threatened they are in terms of extinction according to the
following categories: Extinct, Extinct in the Wild, Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, Near threatened
and Least Concern.
Approximately 80% of the world’s land-based species live in forests. When these forests are destroyed, animals lose
their homes and are often unable to survive in the small fragments of forests left behind. The destruction and
fragmentation of forests is the biggest driver of extinctions across the world. A recent study of more than 19,000
species of birds, amphibians, and mammals found that deforestation substantially increased the odds of species being
listed on the IUCN red list as threatened and exhibiting declining populations. Even localised or small-scale
deforestation can result in extinctions, as many unique species exist in small geographic locations around the world.

Deforestation can directly lead to biodiversity loss when animal species that live in the trees no longer have their
habitat, cannot relocate, and therefore become extinct. Deforestation can lead certain tree species to permanently
disappear, which affects biodiversity of plant species in an environment.
There are a number of ways in which deforestation can impact the animals living within and around forests.
Habitat loss – Habitat loss is probably the biggest threat to the variety of life on Earth today. It is identified as a main
threat to 85% of all species described in the IUCN’s Red List. Deforestation can lead to a direct loss of wildlife
habitat, with the removal of trees and other types of vegetation reducing the available food, shelter, and breeding

11 | P a g e
habitat for animals. For example, tigers have lost an estimated 95% of their historic range as their habitat has been
destroyed, degraded, and fragmented by human activities.
Habitat fragmentation –While evidently interlinked, habitat loss and fragmentation are distinct concepts. Habitat loss,
in relation to forests, refers to a reduction in the area of a forest, whilst habitat fragmentation involves the division of a
once continuous area of forest into multiple patches. Smaller fragments of forest can support fewer animals and
smaller populations are more at risk of extinction. For example, giant pandas are particularly affected by habitat
fragmentation, and many giant panda populations are small and isolated, resulting in limited gene flow and increased
risk of inbreeding and its associated disadvantages.
Change in canopy structure –The forest canopy plays an important role blocking the sun’s rays during the day and
retaining heat at night. Removing trees deprives the forest of portions of its canopy, and this disruption leads to more
extreme temperature swings which can be harmful to animals.

These are some of the general effects that deforestation is having on species that reside in the world’s forests.

12 | P a g e
NATIONAL MEASURES ON DEFORESTATION

The Government proposes to implement the tree plantation programme extensively in the country. To increase forest
and tree cover in the country, the Central Government has initiated several measures. Notable among them are
launching of National Mission for a Green India and taking appropriate measures to put in place a proper institutional
mechanism for expeditious utilization of amounts realised in lieu of forest land diverted for non-forest purpose.
In order to increase the forest and tree cover and improve the quality of existing forest, afforestation in the country is
taken up under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes such as National Afforestation Programme (NAP), Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Integrated Watershed Management Programme
(IWMP), National Bamboo Mission (NBM) and under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning
Authority (CAMPA), 13th Finance Commission Grant, different State Plan/ Non- Plan Schemes including externally
aided projects. National Afforestation Programme (NAP) of the Ministry of Environment & Forests is a 100%
Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Afforestation and tree plantation and eco-restoration of degraded forests and
adjoining areas in the country. The Scheme is being implemented through a decentralized mechanism of State Forest
Development Agency (SFDA) at State level, Forest Development Agency (FDA) at Forest Division level and Joint
Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) at Village levels.
The conservation and development of forest primarily involves three strategies – afforestation through natural/artificial
regeneration, protection and management. The ministry is implementing three major schemes for development of
forest areas i.e., National Afforestation Programme (NAP) scheme, National Mission for a Green India (GIM) and
Forest Fire Prevention & Management Scheme (FFPM). While NAP is being implemented for afforestation of
degraded forest lands, GIM aims at improving the quality of forest and increase in forest cover besides cross sectoral
activities on landscape basis. The FFPM takes care of forest fire prevention and management measures.

SOME OTHER SCHEMES

Nagar Van Udaan Scheme
The vision of creating Nagar Van Udaan Scheme is to develop at least one City Forest in each city having Municipal
Corporation or Class 1 Cities to accommodate a wholesome health environment and contribute to the growth of clean,
green, and sustainable India. Its objective is to create 200 City forests in the country and to create awareness about the
plants and biodiversity. Conservation education to the people, who are unaware of the damages that can happen due to
their ignorance in the conservation of nature.

Green Skill Development Programme

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change launched the Green Skill Development Programme in June
2017. Green skills include conserving and protecting the green of nature alongside creating awareness among the
youth to develop skills and gain experience. In May 2018, during the launch of the GSDP mobile app, Harsh Vardhan,
the Union Minister for Environment, forest, and climate change said that 2.25 lakh people will be employed through
GSDP by the next year and about five lakhs will be employed by 2021.

13 | P a g e
 ACTS PASSED BY THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT
Indian Government has passed Acts to conserve nature which is explained below:
The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972- It included the Constitution of the Indian Board of Wildlife (IBWL), which
actively took up the charge of setting up wildlife natural parks and sanctuaries. Preservation of biological diversity by
setting up sanctuaries and parks and granting permission to take samples from the wildlife for specific purposes such as
scientific research, scientific management, and collection of specimens for museums and zoological gardens, etc.
Collaborating with NGOs to create awareness for the promotion of saving and preserving wildlife diversity. This Act is
adopted by all the states except the state of J&K, they have their own sets of acts.

Forest Conservation Act, 1980- The Forest Conservation Act comprises all types of forest including reserve forests,
protected forests, or any forests irrespective of their ownership. The Act extends to the whole of India except J&K.
The Act has ample provisions promoting the elimination of deforestation and stating to encourage afforestation on the
non-forest areas. It has imposed restrictions on the de-reservation of the forest without any prior Central government
approval and prohibits allotment of any forest land for non-forest purposes.

Amended Forest Act, 1992- The Act made some provisions for allowing non-forestry activities with the prior
approval of the central government. Wildlife sanctuaries, natural parks are entirely prohibited from being used for any
exploration or survey without prior approvals from the Central Government. Cultivation of tea, coffee, spices, rubber,
palms, oil-bearing plants, and cash crops comes under non-forestry activities, therefore, are prohibited and are not
allied in the forest lands. 

The Government of India has done quite a remarkable job to combat the emerging deterioration in the conservation of
nature but we still have to go a long way.

INTERNATIONAL MEASURES ON
DEFORESTATION
As deforestation is a major global issue that affects each and every component of our biodiversity our world leaders
are taking major steps and measures towards it. Research shows that a forest the size of Portugal is ripped from the
earth each year, driving climate change and a host of other environmental crises, including wildfires, species
extinction, and food insecurity.

14 | P a g e
A 2020 report from UNEP and the Food and Agriculture Organization found that, in the past 30 years, 420 million
hectares of forest had been lost through conversion to other land uses (which is larger than the size of India), and that
another 100 million hectares are at risk.
Deforestation is a social and global issue connected to many other aspects consuming life on earth gradually. Over
population and greed resulted in a situation like this, hence now internationally many measures are taken.

COP26 UN Climate Change Conference

At the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference, more than 100 world leaders took the pledge of ending and reversing
deforestation by the year of 2030. This pledge includes almost $19.2 billion of public and private funds which is a
landmark move for nature.

REDD

It is also warned that the Sustainable Development Goals would not be met by 2030 unless dramatic changes occurred
in the agroforestry, agribusiness and agriculture sectors.

So,for that one innovative initiative, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), has
played a central role in combating climate change. The protection and restoration of forests is also tied directly to the
current UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The decade aims to prevent and reverse the degradation of ecosystems
worldwide and is led by UNEP and the Food and Agriculture Organization.

GLOBAL FOREST GOALS 2030

For the Global Forest Goals 2030, the shared United Nations vision is of a world in which all types of forests and trees
outside forests are sustainably managed, contribute to sustainable development and provide economic, social,
environmental and cultural benefits for present and future generation.

Also, the shared United Nations mission is to promote sustainable forest management and the contribution of forests
and trees outside forests to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including by strengthening cooperation,
coordination, coherence, synergies and political commitment and action at all levels.

15 | P a g e
 DEVELOPING VERSUS DEVELOPED
COUNTRIES

How much do people in rich countries contribute to deforestation overseas?

To investigate this question, researchers Florence Pendrill et al. (2019) quantified the deforestation embedded in
traded goods between countries. They did this by calculating the amount of deforestation associated with specific food
and forestry products, and combining it with a trade model.

In the map we see the net deforestation embedded in trade for each country. This is calculated by taking each
country’s imported deforestation and subtracting its exported deforestation. Net importers of deforestation (shown in
brown) are countries that contribute more to deforestation in other countries than they do in their home country. The
consumption choices of people in these countries cause deforestation elsewhere in the world.

For example, after we adjust for all the goods that the UK imports and exports, it caused more deforestation elsewhere
than it did domestically. It was a net importer. Brazil, in contrast, caused more deforestation domestically in the
production of goods for other countries than it imported from elsewhere. It was a net exporter.

Although there is some year-to-year variability [you can explore the data use the timeline on the bottom of the chart
from 2005 to 2013] we see a reasonably consistent divide: most countries across Europe and North America are net
importers of deforestation i.e., they’re driving deforestation elsewhere; whilst many subtropical countries are partly
cutting down trees to meet this demand from rich countries. 

Most deforestation occurs for the production of goods that are consumed within domestic markets. 71% of
deforestation is for domestic production. Less than one-third (29%) is for the production of goods that are traded.

High-income countries were the largest ‘importers’ of deforestation, accounting for 40% of it. This means they were
responsible for 12% of global deforestation. It is therefore true that rich countries are causing deforestation in poorer
countries.

Many rich countries are driving deforestation in other parts of the world, but are regrowing forests domestically. 79%
of exported deforestation ended up in those countries that had stopped losing domestic forests.

16 | P a g e
How do these two measures compare? Are they causing more deforestation elsewhere than they are
regenerating in forests at home? 

Let’s take an example. Imagine some temperate country was responsible for the deforestation of 25,000 hectares in
tropical countries but was restoring its own forests at a rate of 50,000 hectares per year. On balance, it would still have
a positive impact on the size of global forests; its net contribution would be increasing forest area by 25,000
hectares. However, this country might still be causing more damage than this for a couple of reasons. Not all forest is
equal. Tropical forests are often more productive than temperate forests, meaning they store more carbon. They are
also richer sites of biodiversity. And, we might place more value on preserving primary, native forests that haven’t yet
been deforested over regrowing forests that have lost their previous ecosystems. Hence, we should keep in mind that
forest area is not the only aspect that matters – where that forest is and how rich in life it is matters too.

It would be good if there was data available that would capture these additional aspects. We manage to capture some
of these differences in carbon in our related article on deforestation emissions embedded in trade. Without reliable
metrics that capture all of these differences, we will have to stick with total changes in forest area for now. But we
should keep these important aspects in mind when comparing forest losses and gains.

In the chart we see the comparison between the change in domestic forest area, and deforestation driven by imported
goods. On the vertical axis we have the domestic change in forest area: this is shown only for countries where the
forest area is increasing. Since there is often year-to-year variability in deforestation or reforestation rates, this is
shown as the five-year average. On the x-axis we have imported deforestation. The grey line marks where the area of
domestic regrowth of forests is exactly equal to imported deforestation. Countries that lie along this line would have a
net-neutral impact on global forests: the area they are causing to deforestation overseas is exactly as large as the area
they are regrowing at home.

Countries which lie above the grey line – such as the United States, Finland, China – restore more forest each year
domestically than they import from elsewhere. For example, the US ‘imported’ 64,000 hectares of deforested land, but
increased its domestic forest area by 275,000 hectares. More than four times as much. On balance, they add to the
global forest stock. 

Countries below the line – such as the UK and Germany – are not growing forests fast enough to offset the
deforestation they’re creating elsewhere. The UK ‘imported’ 34,000 hectares of deforestation but increased its
domestic forests by only 19,000 hectares. These countries might have high levels of afforestation at home, but they’re
still having a net negative impact on the size of the world’s forests.

After seeing this data, people might argue that we should cut back on trade. If poorer countries are cutting down
forests to make food for rich consumers, then we should just stop trading these goods.

But the solution is not so simple. There are other aspects to consider. International trade is important for
socioeconomic development. Many farmers rely on international buyers to earn a living and improve their livelihoods.
Not only would this be bad for people, it might also be bad for forests. 

One of the reasons poorer countries clear forests to make room for farmland is that they achieve low crop yields. If
you struggle to increase crop yields but want to produce more food, then expanding your agricultural land is the only
option. This often comes at the cost of forests. Improvements in agricultural productivity tends to both drive and
follow economic growth. International trade plays an important role in this growth, and may allow farmers to see the
yield gains they need to produce more food using less land .

So, what can we do? 

One option is to adopt stricter guidelines on what suppliers to source from, and implementing zero-deforestation
policies that stop the trade of goods that have been produced on deforested land. Another way that richer countries can

17 | P a g e
contribute is by investing in technologies – such as improved seed varieties, fertilizers and agricultural practices – that
allow farmers to increase yields. That’s both an economic and environmental win.

The first step in doing this is for rich countries to monitor their deforestation impacts overseas more closely. They
should keep their domestic reforestation targets in perspective with their net impact on global forests. Sometimes these
restoration programmes pale in comparison to the deforestation they’re driving elsewhere.

The US, with the most discernible footprint, displayed high demand for timber from Cambodia, rubber from Liberia,
fruits and nuts from Guatemala. Beef and soy demand in the US, European Union and China resulted in deforestation
in Brazil.

China, South Korea and Japan caused major forest destruction in northern Vietnam for timber, while coffee
consumption in the US, Germany and Italy were a significant driver of deforestation in central Vietnam. China bears
the largest responsibility for deforestation in Malaysia due to its imports of palm oil.

Japan’s footprint was greater in Africa for agricultural products like cotton, vanilla, and sesame seed, while Germany
and the UK’s large African footprint was a result of their demand for cocoa in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana.

Notably, China along with India and many developed countries have increased their imported deforestation, while
simultaneously experiencing net forest gains domestically.

Forests cover nearly one third of the earth’s land area, and tropical forests are estimated to provide the habitat of
anywhere between half to 90 percent of all terrestrial species.

Deforestation is one of the largest sources of greenhouse-gas emissions on the planet and driver behind dwindling
wildlife populations. The UN estimates that only around half of the world’s forests are still “relatively intact”.

Furthermore, over half of the world’s tropical rainforests are currently situated in the Amazon Basin, where
deforestation has “increased sharply” since 2019 under the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, the study noted.

Hoang and Kamamoto indicated that if rich countries want poorer countries to protect their forests, they must
incentivise sustainability.

“Our results emphasize the need to reform zero-deforestation policies through strong transnational efforts and by
improving supply chain transparency, public-private engagement and financial support for the tropics.”

Deforestation, on the other hand, can lead to either prosperity or pauperization, depending on who gains the benefits
and who bears the costs. The gains from one-time removal of valuable timber can be considerable, but are often
enjoyed by elites in capital cities rather than by the rural poor.

The conversion of forests to other land uses generates winners and losers, both of which may be poor. While it’s true
that clearing forests to plant oil palm enables smallholders in Indonesia to send their kids to college, indigenous
communities lose access to their livelihoods when their customary forests are converted to industrial-scale
plantations. At Loggerheads? Agricultural Expansion, Poverty Reduction, and Environment in the Tropical Forests by
World Bank economist Ken Chametz remains the best resource for understanding such variable deforestation-poverty
linkages.

But the impact of deforestation on access to forest goods and services—particularly important to poor households and
women—is unambiguously negative. In the first instance, deforestation means the loss of income from collecting wild
forest products, which constitute, on average, 21 percent of household incomes in communities that live in and around
forests, with the poorest households more forest-dependent.

In addition, forest loss removes the ecosystem services that nurture health and well-being, and buffer poor households

18 | P a g e
from natural disasters. Figure 3 depicts how deforestation transforms forests that provide food and medicine, clean
water, and resilience to natural disasters into landscapes prone to landslides, flooding, and the spread of disease.

CONCLUSION

How can we stop deforestation?

Researchers warn that, if deforestation continues at current levels, the planet will face an extinction crisis that will
“jeopardize the health and wellbeing of future generations.” In order to avoid irreversible damage from habitat loss
and climate change, we need to both halt the loss of forests and promote their restoration. Taking these meaningful
steps to restore our forests could contribute to more than one-third of the emissions cuts we need to take to limit global
warming to 2 degrees celsius by 2030—the climate change mitigation objective set by the Paris Agreement.

Alongside halting deforestation and starting forest restoration initiatives, government leaders must act to protect
remaining forests’ ecosystems, the species that live within them, and the communities that depend on them for
survival. Scientists recommend protecting and maintaining at least 50% of land and oceans as intact natural
ecosystems to “save the diversity and abundance of life on Earth.”

One of the key actions governments can take to protect and maintain forest ecosystems is restoring land rights to
Indigenous peoples, which prevents private interests from clearing the land. A study found that, in Brazil,
deforestation rates decreased by two-thirds in areas where Indigenous people fully owned their lands.

While some private companies have committed to ending deforestation in their supply chains, deforestation continues
to accelerate. Evidence has shown that we cannot put our trust in private companies to stop plundering Earth’s forests
for their own financial gain. We need governments to step up and enforce crucial forest protection and restoration
initiatives if we want to put a stop to deforestation.

What has been done so far?

Local, rural communities are already acting to protect the forested land that they depend on for their survival, and
governments are enacting more policies to protect forests. As a result, we are making some progress to reduce the
harmful effects of deforestation worldwide.

In 2020, seven countries reported decreased deforestation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC). Some countries accomplished this by strengthening the enforcement of logging regulations and
requiring proof that timber imports were harvested legally. We could also see more governments introduce meaningful
forest conservation policies, as 50 countries pledged to protect 30% of the planet by the year 2030 at this year’s One
Planet Summit.

While these steps are encouraging, we need to do more, especially when it comes to industrial agriculture and farming
interests. The FAO suggests that governments, for example, should create “buffer zones” around protected areas,
where no cattle ranching is allowed. And, as individuals, we all have the power to change our broken food system and
promote an end to deforestation.

19 | P a g e
The global demand for meat drives deforestation, especially in the Amazon region. When we eat less meat, or cut meat
consumption entirely, the meat industry has less incentive to destroy forests to meet the global demand for its
products. In fact, the United Nations climate change report “describes plant-based diets as a major opportunity for
mitigating and adapting to climate change,” and it recommends more policies aimed at reducing meat consumption.

What you can do ?

Widespread deforestation doesn’t just harm forests and the animals that live in them: it harms our entire planet.
Thankfully, you can help limit the damage. When you shift your diet away from meat and dairy, you take away
financial support from the industrial animal agriculture operations that clear forested land for their own interests—a
crucial step towards protecting these habitats. Take action today by starting your plant-based journey.

20 | P a g e
 REFEFRENCE

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thecitizen.in/amp/health/deforestation-and-infectious-disease-
326209
[Online]. - https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thecitizen.in/amp/health/deforestation-and-infectious-
disease-326209.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thecitizen.in/amp/health/deforestation-and-infectious-disease-
326209.
https://thehumaneleague.org/article/effects-of-deforestation
https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1596332#:~:text=The%20ministry%20is
%20implementing%20three,%26%20Management%20Scheme%20(FFPM)
https://enb.iisd.org/process/forest_desertification_land-forestintro.htm

21 | P a g e