India must urgently step up its reforestation efforts

topic:	Deforestation
located:	India
editor:	Bindu Gopal Rao

India's deforestation problem is more complex than meets the eye. It has created difficult issues for the country, like biodiversity loss, greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and soil degradation.

Beyond its evident negative impacts on both people and the environment, if not effectively tackled, deforestation stands to impact India's economy severely.

India has seen the highest rise in deforestation in the last 30 years, especially between 2015 and 2020, according to a March 2023 report by Utility Bidder, a United Kingdom-based comparison site for energy and utility costs.

Though the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021 registered a 0.22 per cent increase in the country's forest cover, a closer look shows the quality of India's forests deteriorated across over 15000 square kilometres due to thinning or chopping forests between 2019 and 2021.

Deforestation in India has many drivers, including unsustainable farming practices, illegal logging, infrastructure development, and fuelwood and charcoal dependency.

One solution to deforestation is reforestation, which involves replanting native trees that have been cut down.

The Miyawaki technique is gaining popularity as a reforestation method that reduces the time required from over a century to 20-30 years. In India, it has been successfully implemented in Hyderabad near the airport, some parts of Kerala, and pockets in Mumbai.

Other solutions to deforestation are the development of alternatives to wood and paper products and effective recycling. Cultivated forests - intentionally planted and managed areas of trees for commercial purposes such as timber production - might also be viable. Alternative agricultural practices like agroforestry, where crops are integrated with trees, could also work.

Government cooperation at the state and central levels, along with grassroots education, is necessary to address deforestation.

Although laws exist to protect forests, cooperation with communities is necessary to put them into action.

Image by Souro Souvik.

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