Theme : Conservation, Issues related to Development
Paper:GS-3
TABLE OF CONTENT
- Context
- Significance of Forests for India
- Issues Associated with Forests in India
- Government Initiatives
- Road Ahead
Context : Forests in India are also under threat from a range of activities, including illegal logging, mining, and land conversion for agriculture and urban development.
Significance of Forests for India :
- Ecosystem Services: Forests in India provide a range of important ecosystem services, such as water regulation, soil conservation, and carbon sequestration.For example, forests in the Western Ghats help to regulate the water cycle of southern states and protect against soil erosion.
- Hub of Biodiversity: India is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species, many of which are found only in the country's forests.For example, the Sundarbans mangrove forests in the Bay of Bengal are home to the Royal Bengal tiger.
- Economic Value: Forests in India provide a range of economic benefits, including timber, non-timber forest products, and tourism.For example, the bamboo forests of the Northeast are a major source of livelihood for local communities, while the country's national parks and wildlife sanctuaries attract millions of tourists each year.
- Cultural value: Forests in India also have significant cultural and spiritual value for many communities, who depend on them for their livelihoods and cultural practices.For example, Gond tribes of Madhya Pradesh.
Issues Associated with Forests in India :
- Deforestation and Land Degradation: Forests in India are under threat from a range of activities, including illegal logging, mining, and land conversion for agriculture and urban development.This has led to deforestation and land degradation, which in turn has negative impacts on the environment and on the communities that depend on forests for their livelihoods.
- Biodiversity Loss: Deforestation and other activities that damage forests also lead to a loss of biodiversity, as plant and animal species are unable to survive in their natural habitat.This can have knock-on effects on the ecosystem as a whole, as well as on the cultural practices of the communities that depend on these species.
- Climate Change: Forest disturbances caused by climate change, including insect outbreaks, invasive species due to climate led migration, wildfires, and storms, reduce forest productivity and change species distribution.By 2030, 45-64% of forests in India will experience the effects of climate change and rising temperatures.
- Shrinking Forest Cover: According to the National Forest Policy of India, the ideal percentage of total geographical area under forest should be at least 33% to maintain ecological stability.However, it currently covers just 24.62.62 % of the country’s land and is shrinking rapidly.
- Resource Access Conflict: There is often conflict between the interests of local communities and those of commercial interests, such as pharmaceutical industries or timber industries. This can lead to social tensions and even violence, as different groups struggle to access and use the resources of the forests.
Government Initiatives :
- Forest Conservation Act, 1980
- National Afforestation Programme
- Environment Protection Act of 1986
- Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
Road Ahead :
- Selective Logging and Reforestation: Promoting sustainable forestry practices, such as selective logging and reforestation, to ensure that forests are managed in a way that preserves their ecological value.
- Leveraging Technology for Conservation: Technology can be utilized such as remote sensing and GIS, to monitor and track forest cover, forest fire and identify areas in need of protection.Also, Potential resource mapping can be done in unexplored forest areas, and they can be brought under scientific management and sustainable resource extraction maintaining density and forest health.
- Dedicated Forest Corridors: For safe intrastate and interstate passage of wild animals and protecting their habitat from any external influence, Dedicated Forest Corridors can be maintained giving a message of peaceful-co existence.
FAQs :
-
What are major Government Initiatives?
ANS.
- Forest Conservation Act, 1980
- National Afforestation Programme
- Environment Protection Act of 1986
- Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
-
What is the Significance of Forest for India?
ANS.
- Ecosystem Services: Forests in India provide a range of important ecosystem services, such as water regulation, soil conservation, and carbon sequestration.For example, forests in the Western Ghats help to regulate the water cycle of southern states and protect against soil erosion.
- Hub of Biodiversity: India is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species, many of which are found only in the country's forests.For example, the Sundarbans mangrove forests in the Bay of Bengal are home to the Royal Bengal tiger.