Mains Practice Questions

Approach:

• Define deforestation and its consequences for biodiversity and climate change.
• Examine how deforestation affects India’s biodiversity and contributes to climate change and highlight the government initiatives aimed at mitigating the effects of deforestation.
• Conclude by suggesting further measures to enhance conservation efforts.

Introduction:

Deforestation, the large-scale removal of forests, has severe consequences for biodiversity and climate change in India. It leads to habitat loss, disrupts ecosystems, and contributes to increased carbon emissions.. The Indian government has launched several initiatives aimed at curbing deforestation and promoting conservation.

Impact on Biodiversity and Climate Change:

• Loss of Biodiversity: India experienced a sharp rise in deforestation, increasing from 384,000 hectares (1990–2000) to 668,400 hectares (2015–2020), the highest increase globally. This surge has resulted in extensive habitat loss, posing a serious threat to the country’s rich biodiversity.
  • Home to 8% of global biodiversity, India is seeing a sharp decline in species like the Bengal tiger and Indian rhinoceros.
  • The Sundarbans mangroves, critical for the endangered Sundarbans tiger, are rapidly vanishing due to deforestation and rising sea levels
• Soil Erosion and Desertification: Forests play an essential role in stabilizing soil and preventing erosion. In regions like Rajasthan and Gujarat, where forests are being cleared for agriculture and urbanization, soil erosion has increased dramatically.
  • For instance, the Aravalli Range, which once had dense forests, is now vulnerable to desertification, leading to the degradation of agricultural land.
• Contribution to Climate Change: Forests are vital carbon sinks, absorbing large amounts of CO₂ and thus mitigating the effects of global warming.
  • According to the Forest Survey of India (FSI), India’s forests absorbed 9.12 billion tonnes of CO₂ in 2019. However, deforestation has been releasing vast amounts of stored carbon into the atmosphere.
    • The Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot, has witnessed significant deforestation, and has resulted in emissions of around 222,000 tonnes of CO₂.
• Disruption of the Water Cycle: Deforestation in the Western Ghats has led to reduction in monsoon rainfall and increased flood risks due to diminished water retention capacity.
  • In the Himalayan foothills, forest loss is impacting snowmelt, which contributes about 10% to the Ganga's flow. Declining snow persistence in the region, now 17% below average, threatens water availability, affecting agriculture and hydropower.

Government Initiatives Related to Forest Conservation

• Green India Mission: Launched under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, this mission aims to increase forest cover, restore degraded ecosystems, and enhance carbon sinks.
• National Afforestation Programme (NAP): NAP focuses on afforestation and reforestation efforts to restore forests in degraded areas and reduce the impact of deforestation.
• Forest Conservation Act (1980): This Act aims to regulate deforestation and ensure sustainable forest management. It mandates prior approval from the central government for diverting forest land for non-forest purposes.
• Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA): The CAMPA was set up to manage funds raised through compensatory afforestation, supporting reforestation efforts and forest protection.
• Joint Forest Management (JFM): This initiative encourages local communities to manage and protect forests, ensuring sustainable use of forest resources while preventing illegal deforestation.

Conclusion:

Deforestation in India has a detrimental impact on biodiversity and climate change. While the government has made significant strides in addressing deforestation through initiatives like the Green India Mission and CAMPA, further efforts are needed to improve forest management, enhance afforestation, and strengthen community participation in conservation.