Agnes Krocha
It’s that time of the year again to be marked as World Forestry Day and it makes me think of a remark echoed by a learned person that if we do not preserve our forests now there will come a time when we will no more hear the sound of chirping birds. Dreadful as it may sound, that is what can happen if we continue to neglect and mismanage our existing rich forests.
Forest resources play a major role in our livelihoods, often as the major source of fuel and fodder for rural people. Forests not only supply a number of vital products but also play an important role in conserving soil, modifying climate and providing habitat to wildlife. The experience we can get from a forest cannot be recreated in a laboratory or anywhere else on earth.
Although forests are renewable resource they can be exhaustible if the rate of felling exceeds the rate of renewal. This is exactly what is happening in present times. With increasing population there has been an increasing pressure on forestlands for obtaining agricultural land as well as various forest products such as timber and firewood. As a result the area under all types of forests and the density of trees in forests is declining rapidly. Along with increasing population, other causes of forest denudation are logging, legal or illegal, farming, forest fires, mining operations, geothermal explorations, dam construction and operation. Also land development and conversion and infrastructure expansion by private landowners and developers, shifting cultivation by farmers, illegal occupancy, poaching of wildlife and forest products, and uncontrolled immigration are all endangering the usefulness of forests as a resource to the present and future generations.
Degradation and loss of forests have serious implications for the future. Philippines considered a Prima Donna among world timber exporters in 1970 is said to be a wood-pauper today due to loss of forest. Many species of flora and fauna have already disappeared and many more are at the verge of extinction as a result of deforestation in various parts of the country and the world. Deforestation results in soil erosion and destruction of watershed areas. Siltation caused by erosion shortens the productive life spans of dams and reservoirs. Rampant cutting of trees reduces the volume of ground water. With forests denuded when it rains the water will go straight to the rivers and homes causing flashfloods. Without vegetative cover especially trees the land’s water absorption capacity is greatly reduced. Deforestation also threatens wildlife resources and alters climatic condition.
With all these in mind, it is worthwhile to call and pay attention to the reports of trouble dogging in Intangki National Park, which is said to be under triple jeopardy from the state government’s negligence, undergrounds and land mongers. Recent reports of several casualties of wild boars, stags and barking deers along the periphery of the National park is also alarming and one wonders why and how forests officials are ignorant about such threats within the National Park.
News of rampant loggings, illegal encroachment, heavy felling of trees and settlements within the park are truly distressing. Logging – legal or illegal is one of the primary culprits of forest denudation. The attitude of “get the trees before someone else does” in loggers puts a premium on short-term profits but its effect is long term irreversible environmental damage. The consequence of incessant forest destruction will ultimately be loss of lives because humanity was born from a relationship with the plant and animal world and depends on it still. The negative response of the defaulters to earlier government eviction orders and the neglect of our people and the government of such asset of the state only reflect how selfish and narrow-minded we are and only speak volumes about how little we value our common green wealth. The All Zeliangrong Students’ Union and all the people supporting and working towards protection of this park deserves appreciation and support from all. The government should really look for sustainable forest conservation measures not only to save Intangki National Park but also our remaining forests. If we will not do something now, we will completely lose our rich forests soon. There is hope for our forests to flourish if only we look into the matter now.
With so many critical ecological issues looming today, many believe that saving the environment means sacrificing the economy. But that’s just not true. Responsible forestry is no substitute for preservation where threatened or scarce ecosystems are concerned, but it does offer some promising alternatives in the use and maintenance of native forests. Purchasing forests to preserve biomass and biodiversity is now seen as an effective economy tool. The emerging view now is that protected areas and national parks can be significant revenue-earning entities, making an important contribution to local economies. Yet this tremendous potential is often marginalized in the interest of immediate (albeit more superficial) economic gains offered by such activities as logging, settlements, building infrastructures and other land development activities by private or public land owners. Ecotourism is one promising option currently invaluable as a means that can bring social, economic, and environmental benefits to the same plot of land year after year, in contrast to heavy, one-time exploitation. The government has can really do much in implementation of eco-tourism projects in the reserved forests, wild life sanctuaries, national parks and zoological parks of the state with the prime objective of conserving the rich biodiversity and propagating the message of environmental conservation to the people.
Conservation, which implies a judicious utilization of resources so that the maximum benefit can be obtained for the largest number of people for the longest period of time, is really the need of the hour. We must not only conserve our existing forests but also start restoring and reclaiming deforested areas by planting various species of trees which will also enable us to have diversity of woody plant species and enrich our biodiversity. Afforestation, periodic or cyclic harvesting, reduction of wastage and protection of forests are some of the measures which are being adopted in most of the countries where the forests are depleting rapidly. Substitution of wood by other materials, wherever possible can also help in conserving forest resources.
While there are so many ways by which we can conserve forests one thing we all need to realize is that for safeguarding and protection of forests we cannot simply rely on “locking the forests up”. If a solid local community support program is not in place, the forests’ security will continue to be threatened. So perhaps more than anything what is needed is the development of community support programs with locally appropriate economic strategies to support the people who live in or near core protected lands, in the interest of protecting those places over the long-term.
(The writer has done M.Sc (Environmental Science and Technology) and B.Ed. She also writes and teaches science in a High School)
aggiekrocha@gmail.com
