Kumkum Sinha and Sudha Upadhyay
Department of Physics, Ranchi Women’s College, Ranchi
University, Ranchi
Department of Chemistry, Ranchi Women’s College, Ranchi University, Ranchi
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ABSTRACT
Considering the pivotal role of forests in global sustainability practices, conservation of forests has gained immense importance in today’s world. Its potentiality towards acquiring sustainability is immense. A large number of our village dwellers residing in the vicinity of forests are still dependent somehow or other on the forests for their livelihood. The gradually diminishing flora and fauna, on the verge of extinction, can not be overlooked and need special care as they are an integral part of our global environment. On one hand efficient forest management can fulfill to a great extent the growing global demand for renewable bio resources ---- feedstock of biotechnology and at the same time, it is indispensable for the mitigation of ever increasing environmental problems. So, it becomes pertinent to implement multifaceted strategies of conservation for sustainable development.
Keywords: Global sustainability practices, Conservation of forests, Environmental problems, Flora and fauna.
INTRODUCTION
Forests are nature’s most bountiful, versatile, renewable resources, providing simultaneously a wide range of economic, social, environmental and cultural benefits.
As the world wide demand for their numerous functions and outputs are increasing with the expanding population, the global forest resources are shrinking. Thus for sustainable development, we should use our natural capital with almost care. We must take into account two key concepts:-
a) The essential needs of the worlds poor, which must get overriding priority.
b) The limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organizations, on the environmental ability to meet present and future needs.
CRISIS FACED BY THE FORESTS
Over the last two decades of the 20th Century, rapid deforestation has taken its toll, largely in the tropic s. a) |
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tropicAlso the structural integrity of much of the forest cover that remains has deteriorated. The facts are startling:-
• Forests have virtually disappeared in 25 countries; 18 have lost more than 95% of their forests and another 11 have lost 90%.
• The current estimate of the world’s forested areas is about 3.6 billion hectares from an originally forested of more than 6.0 billion hectors (fig 1and fig 2).
• About 14 million hectares of tropical forest have been lost each year since 1980 due to change in land use from forest to agriculture.
• Forest decline threatens the genetic diversity of the world’s plants and animals.
• The world conversation union recently calculated that about 12.5% of the world’s 270,000 species of plants, and about 75% of world’s mammal are threatened by forest decline (fig.3).
THREATS TO FORESTS
Threats to forests can be categorized in three ways. a) Competitions for other land uses, like expanding cropland
REMEDY
The solution is to bring an urgent green revolution by:- i) Productivity breakthrough for staple crops grown by poor farmers, often on marginal lands. ii) Diversified production using tree crops, live stock and variety of agricultural crops.
And the challenge for the new green revolution will be to develop technology that will make this a “Poor Farmer’s green revolution”
b) Growing global demand for industrial wood which is expected to increase from 1.7 to 3 billion cubic meters per year by 2050
REMEDY
The possibilities for meeting and reducing these surging demands lie in:
i) Improved technology for the production and use of wood. ii) Reducing wasteful use of forest resources and increasing forest/ tree productivity.
iii) Recycling can considerably lesser the demand for industrial wood.
iv) Tree plantations can meet growing demands for industrial wood from a relatively small land base.
(a) Conserving remaining primary forests.
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Figure 1 & 2
(b) Increasing forest cover
(c) Increasing carbon sequestration
(d) Creating income and employment
c) Fuel wood demand
Wood is a major rural and industrial energy source. Fuel wood is used for 58% of all the energy used in Africa, 15% in Latin America and 11% in Asia. In some 40 developing countries, fuel wood accounts for more than 70% of all the energy use. It is estimated 
i) Innovative technologies e, such as new and more efficient kinds of wood burning stoves, solar and wind energy
ii) Agro forestry systems that produce fuel wood as by product.
> iii) Give to private investors to develop energy plantations CONSEQUENCES OF DEPLETING FORESTS
A) Loss of biodiversity
Forest contains at least two thirds of the earth’s terrestrial species. The biotic diversity of forests is used in breeding economically important plants and animals. This gene bank is also drawn upon to strengthen the yield and resistance of domestic and commercial food corps and for materials of medicinal, pharmaceutical and industrial value. Plant diversity ensures a sufficiently wide range of tree species to better forests and their functions in regulating landscapes from disruption by pests, disease and the vagaries of climate.
The present rates of species extinction are between 100 and 1000 times the rates. Species extinction is nitrogen in their fall age, thus making them less nutritious to grazers.
FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Thus it is clear that we are faced with a forest crisis with many dimensions and in whatever from it may appear, it needs our urgent attention.
As the health of a forest deteriorates, all of its functions and services are threatened. The protection of water sheds, the habitat it provides to maintain biodiversity and its role in storing carbon.
The effects an environment, economy and society interconnect and affect one another. The doctrine of sustainability provides a mechanics for development to occur in harmony with environmental protection and enhancement. It is an integrated approach to all round development.
What needs to be done is to increase the productivity of the “Producer System” and the efficiency of the “User System” and to achieve this, the following steps is essential:-
i. Localized management and participatory decision making3.
The sustainable resource use in most likely to occur, if local communities participate in managing the resources, planning and implementation of forestry projects. Joint forest management widely adopted in India, haemerged highly successful and has restored India’s degraded forest lands.
The responsibilities and benefits should be shared by local user groups with government forestry departments.
Thus J.F.M. agreement is an increasingly influential world wide model in attempts to reverse deforestation trends and uplift disadvantage rural groups. ii. Landscape Planning
The key to successful economic development include a working landscape that provides a stable base for a variety of entrepreneurial activities. In the forested zone, some of the forests will be used for timber, fiband fuel; others for non timber forest products. And some will be used as forest resources and for water supplies. Such a scenario can come about only through planning for the entire landscape.
er vi. Thus we need to institute a landscape planning and management approach, based on wide public participation and supported by reliable data and scientific knowledge.
iii. Controversial Forestry practices
Controversial forest management issues frequently dominate news headlines. Can clear cutting really be a sound management technique? Is there a place for tree plantation with few species? Should large areas of forest be set aside for environmental reasons? The c) The intergovernmental dialogue should focus on common responsibilities to secure environmental stability.
d) There should be a pooling of resources among nations for environmental stability and sustainable development.
vii. Citizen’s forum It is a matter of satisfaction that the consciousness among citizens is increasing and people are becoming more motivated towards the conservation of forests. Forest Trust- is one forum in which people from all parts of the world assembles, put their views and work constructively for conservation of forests. Forest Watch- concept is about getting public involved in monitoring the forests.
For this:
a) A network can be established for information gathering analysis and dissemination.
b) There should be a mechanism for linking experts and communities.
c) There should be a link between local, national and international organizations involved in forest information gathering and dissemination.
d) A web site for bringing to public notice any abuse of the public trust in forests
CONCLUSION
Thus natural resources have to be utilized optimally to sustain the long term quality of environment in balance with human needs. And this requires more than just technical adjustments
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that by 2050 demand for fuel wood will increase from 3.0 to 3.5 billion cubic meters per year (Fig. 4).
REMEDY
Rural energy alternatives should be encouraged through greater funding for research and development. Thus we should encourage:-
occurring at a time when humans have been deliberately narrowing the gene pool through selection and breeding in orders to increase timber and agricultural yields. This reduces the resilience of forests to recover from disturbance. The fact is that even before species are lost the functional aspects of nature are severally impaired.
We must make policies to:-
a) Halt the loss of medicinal plants and their natural habitats.
b) Protect cultural diversity and the rights of native people to manage and use forests.
c) Protect sources of non wood forest products that provide food, income and livelihood to millions.
(B) Climate change
Changing climate of the world is of great concern.
The10 warmest1 years on record have been since 1991 and it is expected that the carbon-dioxide content of the air will be double by 2100. • It will enhance the green house effect and will result in a 1 to 5 degree centigrade increase in global temperature; resulting in a rise in sea level, leading to millions of climate refugees.
• As sea level rises and coastal communities continue to grow and pump water from aquifers, salt water intrusion into ground water will because a greater problem.
• As the temperature of oceanic areas will be moderated by the heat capacity of water, land areas will warm more rapidly than the global average.
• Warming will also be greatest at higher latitudes, for the past climate change has affected the earth’s Polar Regions to the greatest extent.
• Humidity effects, included in the heat index will exacerbate warming effects and warmer temperature also has an impact on ecosystem. Experts predict the north ward retreat of temperate tree species and also the northward advancement of tropical and subtropical species. Though individual species will respond differently to climate change, it is clear that the normal associations of plants and animal may be disrupted.
• Elevated CO2 may also affect climatic variability. Extremes kill plants and wildlife. Plants may be killed if the temperature falls below freezing for even a few hours. Like wise Birds and insects may die if temperature gets warm.
• Rain fall patterns-
Changing climate will change rainfall patterns. Drier conditions lead to increased wild fires while wetter conditions may result in more insect pests, like mosquitoes. Decreased CO2 in the atmosphere can stimulated plant growth but there is evidence that plants under elevated carbon dioxide contain less appropriateness of these practices can only be decided for specific situations. However, the principles of localized management, participatory decision making, landscape planning and ecosystem based management should be the frame work for assessing forest practices such as clear cutting, Plantation forestry, fire as a management tool and protected forest areas. For internationally traded forest products, the various criteria indicators and certifications system should be harmonized. This will ensure competitiveness for the products of these countries adhering to sustainability standards.
iv. Private Sector Investment and Management The private sector has a critical role to play in SFM. In most of the major wood producing countries of the developed world, the private sector is the largest owner or manager of forests. The role of the private sector in furthering SFM in developed as well as in developing countries is critical. Private capital flows to developing countries, in the form of investment and lending. Now it amounts to about 60% of development financing and has increased each year since 1991. The trends of decreasing public and increasing private investments are expected to continue. In the last few years, foreign private sector investments in the forestry sector have rapidly increased in many of the forest rich countries of the developing world.
Improving Research and Information
The inadequacy of forest data and the incompatibility of various agencies involved in forest data gathering and analysis, is one of the major impediment is SFM. Indian council for forestry research and education, an autonomous body of the ministry of Environment and forests holds the mandate to organize, direct and manage research and education in the field of forestry. It is also responsible for framing the overall forestry research Policy of the country and ensuring the best method of application of all sources of scientific knowledge to the solution of problems facing the forestry sector
International efforts
For proper sustainable development world wide, it is imperative that there is an intergovernmental dialogue on forests and the need for a forest convention. Group of countries which have most of the world’s forests should come together and find ways and means for sustainability of ecosystem.
But for any international law to be effective it should consider the following fundamental realities. a) Forests conservation costs are in reality investments for environment and sustainable development. b) The fate of world’s future is dependent on environmental stability
They call for fundamental and far reaching changes in forestry practices. The roots of the crisis are broad and deep and the solutions go well beyond the obligations and responsibilities of the forestry sector. Correcting the root causes of forest decline will require patience, commitment and enlightened leadership. Innovation is desperately needed if the world is to prevent the deepening of the forest crisis and we should be creative in our search for solutions. Thus for forest conservation, initiatives already underway must be supported and new ways must be found to slow and ultimately reverse the trends. We all have a stake in the future of world’s forests. We may not have a second chance. The choice is still in our hands.
REFERENCES
1. Houghton. R. A. 1998. “Forest and Warming of the Earth.” In Forests in a Full World. G.M. Woodwell, ed. Report of the Scientific Committee, World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development. (in draft) 2. 2. IISD. (International Institute for Sustainable Development) 1996. The World Trade Organization and sustainable development: An independent assessment. Winnipeg, Canada: IISD. 3. Jeffrey, R. 1997. Organizing Sustainability: NGOs and Joint Forest Management Agreements in India. Edinburgh: Centre for South Asian Studies, University of Edinburgh. |
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