Deforestation
Forests still cover about 30 percent of the world’s land
area, but they are disappearing at an alarming rate. Since
1990, the world has lost 420 million hectares or about a
billion acres of forest, according to the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations —mainly in
Africa and South America. About 17 percent of the
Amazonian rainforest has been destroyed over the past 50
years, and losses recently have been on the rise.
Forests cover more than 30% of the Earth's land surface, according to the World
Wildlife Fund (WWF). These forested areas produce oxygen and absorb carbon
dioxide (CO2), and are home to an estimated 80% of Earth's terrestrial species.
Forests also are a source of food, medicine and fuel for more than a billion people.
Worldwide, forests provide 13.4 million people with jobs in the forest sector, and
another 41 million people have jobs related to forests.
Deforestation can be defined as the removal of trees and clearing of forests
for the personal and commercial benefits of human beings. Deforestation has
emerged as one of the biggest man-made disasters recently. Every year,
more and more trees and vegetation are being erased just to fulfill the various
needs of the human race.
Deforestation happens for many reasons. The growing population is one of
them. Rising human population needs more area for residential purpose. For
this, forests are either burned down or cut to make space for constructing
homes and apartments.
Deforestation is also done for commercial purposes. This includes setting up
of factories, industries, and towers, etc. The enormous requirements of
feeding the human race also create a burden on the land. As a result, clearing
land for agricultural purposes leads to deforestation.
Deforestation impacts our earth in several ways. Trees are natural air
purifiers. They absorb the carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen into
the atmosphere. Deforestation results in uncontrolled air pollution. When there
are fewer trees, there is lesser absorption of carbon dioxide and other
pollutants.
Deforestation also disturbs the water cycle. Forests absorb the groundwater
and release the water vapors to form clouds, which in turn cause rains. Roots
of trees hold the soil intact and prevent floods. But when there are no trees,
different kinds of natural calamities are bound to happen.
With deforestation, chances of floods, drought, global warming, and disturbed
weather cycle all come into the play. Not only that, the disappearance of
forests means the extinction of wild animals and plants, which are highly
important parts of our ecosystem.
In order to curb these disasters, we must plant more trees. Restoration of
existing vegetation is equally essential. Population control is another indirect
method to save trees and forest areas.
World Wildlife Fund, “Deforestation and Forest
Degradation”. https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/deforestation-and-
forest-degradation#causes
National Geographic Society Resource Library,
“Deforestation”. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/deforesta
tion/
The New York Times, "'Going in the Wrong Direction': More Tropical Forest Loss in
2019," June 2,
2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/02/climate/deforestation-climate-
change.html
World Bank Blogs, "Five forest figures for the International Day of Forests," March
21, 2016. https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/five-forest-figures-
international-day-forests
https://www.livescience.com/27692-deforestation.html
