One of the most overriding threats confronting the contemporary world is inarguably climate change. The last few decades have witnessed a considerable alteration of global climatic pattern, with rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall spells across almost all the countries. While the Nordic and west European countries have been experiencing a prolonged and aggressive summer season, the coastal regions in South Asia have been flooding recurrently.
The primary reason behind such a climatic mayhem is the ossifying forest cover all over the globe. The overall rise in the indigenous population combined with heavy migration has led to expanding concretisation of most of the plantation land including several river beds and mountainous terrains. With a decreased rate of carbon sequestration owing to the decline in trees, the air pollution levels are hitting an all time high.
The ongoing forest fires in Amazon rain forests in Brazil which are also known as the “lungs of the Earth” and yields more than 15 per cent of the world’s oxygen, is a testimony to the devastating plight which the forest and grasslands have met. Similarly in 2016, the wild fire which had set ablaze the California forests torched down almost half a million acres of forest land.
From 2015 jungle fires in Indonesia to the frequent ones which get triggered off in the mountains of Uttarakhand, the burning of trees down to ashes is an unfortunate affair which results in smoke enveloping even the surrounding regions. Whether the reasons behind the forest fires are commercial with the tacit connivance of local communities and government, or due to winds and heat, the consequences are always regrettable. It is paradoxical that the forests which enable life on earth by pumping oxygen, are being forced to roast away, emanating copious fumes, carbon dioxide, dust and heat.
The wildfires which have torched the forests in Uttarakhand have been compared to the ones in Australia, in the extent to which they have ravaged the local flora and fauna, besides having threatened human life. Although the history of wildfires in Uttarakhand mountains dates back to the 1920s, they have become a cause of major concern in contemporary times due to the vulnerability of the State to population onslaughts, construction and spiralling air pollution.
In the past shifting agriculture practices, land requirements for cattle grazing and vested interests of timber mafia lobbies in collusion with authorities have been the leading causes of such fires. However in the present times the increase in temperatures along with low atmospheric moisture has also become a decisive determinant of such incidents. Most of the wildfire incidents have taken place between the months of February and June. The chir pine which dominates the mountain regions is known to be susceptible to catching fires. Besides the forest floors often gets covered with shed needles of the pine trees.
These are also highly combustible in nature. Even the fire which begins as a localised ground fire spreads very fast in the presence of strong winds and eventually ends up gulping down hectares of forest lands altogether. The 2016 forest fires were reported in more than 1000 regions and they continued over a period of almost three months.
The damaged areas included parts of important places like Corbett national park, Rajaji national park and Kalagarh tiger reserve among others. A huge loss is caused to the biodiversity of the state including the wildlife and plant varieties.
The topography of Uttarakhand is already sensitive and given the weak soil structure of the Shivalik mountains, the absence of old trees can aggregate massive soil erosion and landslides in the monsoon season. It is the trees which hold the soil in place and prevent surface erosion caused by storms and floods. With recurrent burning and the heat ensuing from the process the glaciers in the upper mountain reaches are under the threat of melting as well. A study conducted by scientists at the GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development and the Centre for Earth Sciences, clearly demonstrated how the Chaturangi glacier, a tributary of the Gangotri glacier, has been steadily detaching from the main Gangotri glacier and retreating in mass. Similar is the plight of several other small glaciers which are responsible for feeding the mountain rivers with water flow.
The narrowing of many local rivers and their tributaries can be owed to the shrinking of Himalayan glaciers. We are witnessing a painful vicious cycle where on the one hand climatic change leads to forest fires and on the other hand these fires lead to further global warming and disturbed water cycle. A proactive initiative must be taken by the Government and local communities alike to prevent such incidents from repeating in the future. A nip in the bud strategy has to be adopted where as soon as the fire is witnessed by nearby dwellers, they must inform the forest department, who in turn must assume aggressive measures to stop it. A routine clearing of forest grounds to remove all the older leaves and debris is extremely necessary. Any deliberate attempts at arson for commercial purposes should be immediately punished by the authorities and nature friendly farming practice have to be encouraged among the local farmers. Forests are the life lines of human civilisation and efficiently absorb the toxic gases churned up by humans and animals.
The older the forests the more carbon sequestration they are capable of. The reason why countries like Bhutan and Philippines have mandated more than half of their territorial cover to be forested is evident from the well maintained natural resources they can boast of. Right from the primitive ages humans have derived their livelihood, food and shelter through forests and we will continue to do so. The Conservation of Forest Act 1980 and the further amendments made to it in 1992, clearly State that it will not be allowed to undertake any non forest activity near or inside forests which leads to felling of trees.
However the act needs to be implemented strongly and more inclusions must be made to it for avoiding any damage to the trees. By not protecting our forests we are ripping away the very channels through which we breathe, eat and live.
(The author is a retired civil servant)
