While The Amazon Rainforest Burns, Our Forests Are Not Doing Any Better & We Are To Blame

Right now we are witnessing the unfolding of a global catastrophe centered in Brazil with the Amazon rainforests burning at an unprecedented rate. The amazon rainforest produces an estimated 20 per cent of the world's oxygen, yet we're only just finding our footing when it comes to swift corrective action.

But what about the condition of our own forests?

India has lost as much as 80 per cent of its forests in the name of systematic destruction and industrial development. And what most people can't fully comprehend is how this damage to the environment by human behaviour is irreversible. In some time there will be absolutely nothing you or I will be able to do to undo the damage.

IĄ¯m just going to let that sink in.

Reuters

Over the last 35 years, India has lost forests that are equivalent to size of Haryana. Reason? 23,716 industrial projects as specified in this government report.

A common justification cited by the government for allowing such large-scale industrialisation is how it gives way to large scale employment. But in no way can our policy makers justify the destruction of our forests and illegal poaching of forest land prevalent throughout the country. We need to put an end to these practices and figure out a way to build alternative sources of employment, especially those that don't harm our environment.

Reuters

In 2018, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change formulated and presented a new draft: the National Forest Policy 2018. The policy proposes combating climate change through sustainable forest management. But this new draft doesn't address the main concern that environmentalists have been raising since eternity: a ban on commissioning forest land for 'non-forestry' activities such as construction and mining.

Further, this new draft doesn't provide any special protection to forests in northeast India. As reported by Deccan Herald, net loss of tree cover between 2000 and 2018 in India is 16,744 sq km. Out of this, 12,523 sq km, a whopping 74.7 per cent, is from the north-eastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and others.

The northeast part of our country is one of the richest hotspots for wildlife, biodiversity and forests. It needs special protection or the forests we see there today might not be there tomorrow.

Reuters

Mindless clearing of forests has also had several implications for climate change.

Environmentalists are of the opinion that the main reason why the Northeast witnesses floods every year during monsoons is due to forest destruction. And floods then cause landslides and soil erosion. Further, increasing temperature isn't just happening randomly. Cities like Delhi, Aizwal and Shillong witnessed the highest recorded temperature in 20 years, this May. Our major cities are drying up, Chennai ran out of water this year and it's water reserves are deeply threatened.

So whoever thinks climate change is not real, really needs to have a look around what's going around them and start voicing their concerns as citizens of this country. Our forests need to be protected for our survival and if we don't act now, it's really going to be too late to reverse this travesty.