Forest Cover - India

[zen]

Ind should target about 1/3rd of its area to be under quality forest cover. Currently, Ind is at 21% (overall including sparse forest) -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_cover_by_state_in_India 

 

For reference, Forest cover in Sub-Saharan countries is approx. at 28%. For details on Forest coverage of different countries -> http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.FRST.ZS 

 

 

 

Per govt's report, Forest cover has increased. However, dense quality forests appear to be shrinking:

 

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In fact, India may be losing quality forests. Dense forests are degrading into scrub or sparsely covered forest areas in many states, says the report. “Moderately dense” forest cover – areas with a tree canopy density of between 40-70% – shrank by 1991 sq km in the two-year period, while “open forests” with less than 40% canopy increased by 7831 sq km.

 

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Another potential worry: the Himalayan northeastern region, which holds one-fourth of the country’s forests, has seen a small decline of 627 sq km in forest cover. 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2014/jul/18/indias-forest-cover-numbers

 

 

 

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Here are some downsides of the forest report:

• Although the total forest cover has seen an increase, around 2,510 square kilometre of very dense and mid-dense forests have been wiped out since 2013

• States of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana have suffered huge loss of forest cover

• Around 2,254 square kilometre of mid-dense forest cover has turned into non-forest lands in the past two years.

 

 

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/education/story/forest-report/1/540270.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[zen]

Forest cover benefits and guidelines: 

 

[BeautifulGame]

So states that haven't banned cow slaughter have more forest cover .

 

Maybe there is a correlation

[zen]

This may have been posted earlier: http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2014/03/06/green-growth-overcoming-india-environment-challenges-promote-development

 

"Green growth is necessary. With cost of environmental degradation at US $80 billion annually, or equivalent to 5.7% of GDP in 2009, environment could become a major constraint in sustaining future economic growth. Further, it may be impossible or prohibitively expensive to clean up later."

 

 

 

 

[sandeep]

This is a dangerous trend.  Like that frog who gets steamed slowly.  

[Gollum]

What do you expect when Centre and all states reserve lowest budgets for the Environment related ministries and departments? No one gives a * in India about forest cover. IAS and IPS officers rule the roost while IFoS(Indian Forest Service) officers barely get mention in spite of all 3 being under the premiere All India Services. The IFoS officers are even more qualified and able than IAS/IPS because the qualification process is tougher but even in forest areas they have to report to IAS officers who are strictly speaking, anti forests and pro 'so called development'. If you want to give preference for forests over mining projects, you are branded an anti national and transferred/harassed. Forest rangers are so much underpaid that it isn't even funny. And they live a risky life with no sleep, no rest, always in the lookout for encroachers,  timber mafia, poachers etc. 

 

In India we are blessed to have 2 biodiversity hotspots: Himalayas and Western Ghats. But all political parties have conspired to degrade these rich high quality forests for mining activities, dams, industries, tourism etc. Absolutely sickening that this isn't an election issue(except may be Goa this year) and media doesn't care about all this. Here a Kareena Kapoor pregnancy/Kejriwal nautanki will attract more discussions even among intellectuals than the critical state of our environment, recent examples being the forest fires in dry deciduous forests of Central India or Marina oil spill..... This thread is 24 hours old and only 4 replies, that itself shows the importance we give to this ticking time bomb.

 

Today in India the diminishing forest cover is a bigger threat than Pakistan/PLGA/China etc but we are greatly underestimating it. In a few years the damage will be irreparable and our future generations will suffer. Forests are as important as our economy or national security....hope we shift our debate to this aspect than the anti national/demonetization/cow-beef/romeo squads/RaGA elevation type of dross BS. 

 

 

[zen]

Time has come to change Ind's KPIs, which should be about creating a sustainable ecosystem including bio diversity, clean air, water, HDI, etc. 

 

On one hand, Ind had a mindless population boom and now to cater to that population, Ind has put everything else on the back burner

 

Below Ind's looming ground water crisis, which is again related to how the country manages its ecosystem:

 

 

 

[beetle]

My mom says the mountains in Uttarakhand have far more trees now than 30- 40 years back.There used to be bald mountains because of deforestation.

While trees have reduced in urban and semi urban areas because of construction, the forst area that had suffered due to deforestation has been recovered well.(this is just based on what I have heard from mom ...not based on any other source).

 

With the kind of population problems we have.....this is a very difficult battle.

 

[Gollum]

3 minutes ago, beetle said:

My mom says the mountains in Uttarakhand have far more trees now than 30- 40 years back.There used to be bald mountains because of deforestation.

While trees have reduced in urban and semi urban areas because of construction, the forst area that had suffered due to deforestation has been recovered well.(this is just based on what I have heard from mom ...not based on any other source).

 

With the kind of population problems we have.....this is a very difficult battle.

 

When it comes to forest cover, quality matters even more than quantity. To get quality+biodiversity it will take a few centuries of efforts. And no, forest cover is thinning. The Forest department is severely under funded and scientific forestry hasn't been adopted. Gadgil Report and Kasturirangan report highlight this fact clearly. We need to follow the examples set by Finland/Bhutan w.r.t this problem. Finland guys are masters at forest conservation and follow environmentally best practices. 

[beetle]

Finland ki population kya hai....?

We have to be realistic .

[Gollum]

5 minutes ago, beetle said:

Finland ki population kya hai....?

We have to be realistic .

Only 5.5 million. I mean we have to learn from them, send our guys for training there, involve them in the projects here etc.

[zen]

Comparing population can be mis-leading, the criteria should be % of area covered by forest 

 

Tomorrow, Ind could have population of 5B, does it mean that people will turn the entire country barren to create houses, roads, malls, etc. everywhere? 

 

We have to start with what the optimal level of ecosystem is for Ind and then adjust for population, and not adjust the ecosystem to meet the demands of the unwanted rise in population (probably a burden to the planet)

Edited March 27, 2017 by zen

[Muloghonto]

2 minutes ago, zen said:

Comparing population is mis-leading, the criteria should be % of area covered by forest 

 

Tomo, Ind could have population of 5B, does it mean that people will turn the entire country barren to create houses? 

 

We have to start with what the ideal level of ecosystem is and then adjust for population, and not adjust the ecosystem to meet the unwanted rise in population 

Yes. Duh. even if we made 100 storey tall skyscrapers to house 5 billion people, there won't be a forest left if the ground is cultivable, because 5B humans are gonna need proportionate amount of land for food.

 

[Muloghonto]

Actually what is of pressing concern, is to increase forest cover in the gangetic plains and the cauvery delta region. I know its a pipe dream because those lands are densely populated and where people don't live, we have farms, but we are losing a lot of top quality soil due to erosion from lack of forest cover.

For eg, due to deforestation in Murshidabad and Maldah districts, the ganges is desiccating its banks and is in the process of creating a new channel. Concrete embankments are not as cheap or solid in holding soil in place as deep roots of the Banyan or other trees for eg. And if the desiccation process continues, the Ganges will bypass Farakka barrage and Bhagirathi (Hoogly river by Kolkata) will run dry.

 

these kind of bank erosion problems are costing India thousands of tonnes of top soil of the 2nd highest quality in the world (Ganges plain alluvium is 2nd most fertile after mollisols, in the world).

 

[zen]

Relatively old news, but a summary on threat to Ind's river systems:

 

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More than half the rivers in India are polluted, with the developing economic power unlikely to meet demand for fresh water from its still-growing population unless dramatic measures are taken, a new report by government scientists has found.

 

The number of rivers defined as “polluted” in India has more than doubled in the last five years, from 121 to 275, an assessment by the central pollution control board (CPCB) says.

 

A primary cause is the quantity of sewage generated by cities and towns along polluted stretches the CPCB’s report found.

“In view of population increase, demand for freshwater for all uses will be unmanageable,” it said.

 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/07/half-india-rivers-polluted-new-government-report

 

 

And talking about sewage:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/05/india-river-pollution-sewage_n_2810213.html

 

 

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Eighty percent of sewage in India is untreated and flows directly into the nation’s rivers, polluting the main sources of drinking water, a study by an environment watchdog showed Tuesday.

 

Indian cities produce nearly 40,000 million litres of sewage every day and barely 20 percent of it is treated, according to “Excreta Does Matter”, a new report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

 

“The untreated waste dumped into rivers seeps into groundwater, thereby creating a ticking health bomb in India,” concludes the report.

 

Weak or non-existent enforcement of environmental laws, rapid urban development and a lack of awareness about the dangers of sewage are all blamed for water pollution.

 

“Untreated sewage is killing Indian rivers,” the report stated.

 

A 2011 survey by the Central Pollution Control Board revealed only 160 out of nearly 8,000 towns had both sewerage systems and a sewage treatment plant.

 

Scientists who worked on the CSE report found that thousands of small factories were dumping untreated sewage into rivers and toxic waste was being mixed with fresh water.

 

Laboratory tests by the team revealed that almost the entire country has nitrate levels higher than the prescribed levels — a result of sewage leaching into groundwater supplies.

 

 

[zen]

A 5 point agenda for Ind should be:

• Restoring and maintaining Ind's ecosystem
• Upgrading / installing world class waste management systems
• Focus on sustainability including on natural resources, water systems, food management and storage, etc. 
• Containing and eliminating pollution including of land, water and air
• Moving towards a green economy 

[zen]

20 hours ago, Gollum said:

I mean we have to learn from them, send our guys for training there, involve them in the projects here etc.

One of the books that gives good insights on forests is:

 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2017 by zen

[zen]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/beneath-an-increasing-green-cover-a-story-of-depleting-forests/story-5uYG3ARcrMJy27hTJhnePP.html

 

"Between 1880 and 2013 India lost about 40% of its forest cover. Today, 24% of its area is under forests or 7 lakh sq km, according to government data. The area under forest and tree cover has grown by 5,081 sq km between 2013 and 2015.

 

A rise in forest and tree cover may seem like a reason to celebrate but a careful look at the state of forests shows the government has many promises to keep before the woods are lovely, dark and deep. To revive forests will take more than a public campaign to plant trees.

 

Some people argue that the increase in forest cover is a matter of optics. India has recently been able to measure its forest areas better with high-resolution satellite imagery so we capture more forests now. The largest increase in forest cover was seen in open forests where forest canopy is 10%-40%.

 

The forest cover grew by 3,775 sq km while tree cover grew by 1,306 sq km. Tree cover includes tree standing outside forest areas that are being measured for the first time. It could be a clump of trees in a homestead or even a commercial plantation, but they are neither part of a larger ecosystem nor a habitat.

 

To put the growth in forest cover numbers in perspective, northeast India and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are likely to lose 2,305 sq km of forest cover by 2025, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) scientists predicted in a recent study."

 

Edited August 7, 2017 by zen