Deforestation-Induced Warming Causing Heat-Related Deaths

Context

Between 2001 and 2020, deforestation-induced warming resulted in almost 28,000 additional heat-related deaths annually in tropical areas, according to a recent study released in Nature Climate Change.

Key Highlights

• The majority of tropical forests, which have a high level of biodiversity, are located in South America, Africa, and Asia.
• Significance: By absorbing greenhouse gases through photosynthesis and controlling the hydrological cycle, they function as important carbon sinks.
• Between 2001 and 2020, the study estimates that the world lost 1.6 million square kilometers of tropical forest cover:
  • 760,000 square kilometers in Central and South America
  • Southeast Asia: 490,000 square kilometers
  • Tropical Africa: 340,000 square kilometers

Deforestation Factors

• Agricultural growth: The primary cause of deforestation, particularly in tropical areas, is the commercial-scale cultivation of commodities such as soy, palm oil, and others.
• Logging and timber extraction: Illegal and legitimate harvesting for wood and paper are major contributors to forest destruction and degradation.
• Infrastructure construction includes the direct removal of forested regions and the fragmentation of ecosystems through mining activities, the extension of cities, and the construction of new roadways and dams.
• Unsustainable subsistence practices: Fuelwood gathering and shifting cultivation (slash-and-burn farming) are two examples of how rural populations contribute to forest degradation.

Effects of Deforestation

• Release of Stored Carbon Dioxide: Tropical forests store enormous quantities of carbon in woody biomass and soils and function as significant carbon sinks.
• Biodiversity Loss: Deforestation decimates habitats for a large number of species, resulting in a decrease in biodiversity and the possibility that vital ecosystem functions, such as pollination and soil fertility, will be lost.
• Human Health and Mortality: About 28,300 people are estimated to die each year as a result of deforestation-induced warming. The risk of heat stroke and organ failure rises with extreme heat and high humidity.
• Socioeconomic Consequences: Deforestation frequently causes individuals who rely on forest resources to lose their jobs, disproportionately affecting rural and indigenous populations.

Difficulties in Addressing Deforestation

• Economic Dependence: Tropical nations continue to rely heavily on agricultural exports and the wood industry for their economic well-being.
• Health Linkages: Little awareness of the immediate effect of deforestation on human mortality.

Actions Taken Around the World

• Global Initiatives:

• • • The UN-REDD Programme, a collaborative initiative between the FAO, UNDP, and UNEP to cut emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, was established in 2008.
    • In recognition of the critical role that forests play in tackling climate change, the Paris Agreement (2015) highlights the necessity of lowering emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
    • The Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use (2021) committed to stopping and reversing forest loss by 2030.
    • The Amazon Fund, which was founded in 2008 with the mission of funding initiatives to prevent, monitor, and mitigate deforestation and forest degradation in the Amazon Biome, as well as encourage forest conservation and sustainable utilization.

• India’s Actions:

• • National Mission for a Green India (GIM): A project under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) that seeks to expand forest cover and raise the standard of current forests to fight against climate change.
  • Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act (2016): This law mandates that users of forest land for non-forest purposes pay compensatory levies in order to guarantee funding for afforestation and associated operations.
  • Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs): Zones around Protected Areas (National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries) that are designed to buffer and lessen the detrimental effects of particular human actions on vulnerable ecosystems.
  • Joint Forest Management (JFM) is a program that promotes collaboration between state forest departments and local communities in order to protect and restore forest resources.

Way Ahead

• Improve International Collaboration: The Global South needs financial and technical help to combat deforestation while still advancing.
• Integrate Health Dimension: Policymaking should incorporate the climate-health impacts of deforestation.
• Empowering communities: Indigenous groups must participate in conservation choices.
• Forest Monitoring: Use satellite-based technologies for real-time tracking.

Source: The Indian Express

Mains PYQ

Q. “The most significant achievement of modern law in India is the constitutionalization of environmental problems by the Supreme Court.” Discuss this statement with the help of relevant case laws. (2022)

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