Relevance: GS-3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Key phrases: ISFR’21, North East, Forest Cover, Logging, Shifting Cultivation, anthropogenic activities, biodiversity hotspots

Why in News?

• The mass culling of trees for construction of a flyover, led to widespread anger across Guwahati. The felling of trees in Guwahati epitomizes the findings of the India State of Forest Report (ISFR), 2021.

Key Points:

• The ISFR report, released last month by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), states that the forest cover of the North Eastern region has reduced substantially, shrinking by 1,020 sq km from the previous assessment, just two years earlier.

• The report states that the North-East has 1,69,521 sq km of forest cover, which is 64.66% of the total geographical area of the region.
  • Of this, 10.95% is Very Dense Forest (land with tree canopy density of 70% and above),
  • 27.65% is Moderately Dense Forest (tree canopy density of 40% and more but less than 70%),
  • 26.06% is Open Forest (tree canopy density of 10% and more but less than 40%) and
  • The rest is Scrub (tree canopy density less than 10%).

Highlights:

• Most North-Eastern states have suffered a significant loss in forest cover.
  • Arunachal Pradesh showed the biggest decline, losing 257 sq km, followed by Manipur (249 sq km), Nagaland (235 sq km), Mizoram (186 sq km) and Meghalaya (73 sq km).
  • The extent of loss was lesser in Assam (15 sq km), Tripura (4 sq km) and Sikkim (1 sq km).
• Even though Arunachal Pradesh saw the highest deforestation, according to ISFR–2021, the state still has 79.33% of its total geographical area under forest cover.
  • Conservationists from the Lower Dibang Valley district, blamed tree felling for the forest cover loss in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Logging is a menace not just in Arunachal Pradesh but also in Assam. Conservationist says timber logging is unchecked along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.
  • They further add that there is a very active timber mafia, active in both states.
  • In fact, rampant cutting of trees is going on even inside the National Parks like Dehing Patkai in Tinsukia district.
  • In Arunachal Pradesh, a lot of forest has been lost in districts like Tirap and Longding due to logging.
  • They have targeted most large trees in the forest, including Hollong and Khokan, which are used in the furniture industry.
• Assam, which is the most populous North-East state, has lost 15 sq km, compared to the 2019 assessment.
  • It must be noted that Assam is the least forested North-East state with just 36.09 sq km of forest cover, and every tree cut is a huge loss.
  • Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong, two districts with the highest forest cover in Assam (84.94% and 75.08%), saw the biggest depletion (55.01% and 55.27%, respectively).
  • Concerns have been raised over the proposed site of All India Institute of Medical Sciences Changsari in Assam, which is a natural wetland.
• Manipur, which has 74.34% of its geographical area under forest cover, has lost 249 sq km of forest cover since 2019.
  • The Tamenglong hill district has 86.42% of its area under forest cover, the highest among its nine districts, but has also faced substantial forest cover erosion (49.82 sq km).
• Meghalaya, which has 76% of its land under forest cover, lost 73 sq km, as per ISFR–2021.
  • Out of its seven districts, East Garo Hills faced the biggest depletion of 32.04 sq km.
• Mizoram has 84.53% of its geographical area under forest cover, the highest in the North-East.
  • Of its eight districts, Champhai recorded 113 sq km of forest cover loss, at least ten times more than what most other districts experienced.
• Nagaland, another heavily forested state (73.90%) saw its forest cover shrink by 235 sq km.
  • Of its 11 districts, Tuensang has lost 96.12 sq km, the highest, followed by Mon (58.28 sq km). The sole district to see an increase in forest cover is Wokha (12.18 sq km).
  • Locals says that, the main reason for forest cover decline is road construction and developmental work in the mountains.
• Sikkim is the second least forested North-East state, with just 47.08 sq km of its area under forest cover.
  • It has lost just 1.46 sq km.
  • Of its four districts, it lost forest cover in North Sikkim and South Sikkim, while gaining in East Sikkim and West Sikkim.
• Tripura’s forest cover stands at 73.64% of its geographical area. The state lost 4 sq km of forest cover.

Issues:

• The report attributed the forest loss in the North-East to factors such as shifting cultivation, felling of trees, natural calamities, anthropogenic pressure and developmental activities.
  • However, critiques argue that “Mining, construction of dams and other threats have a different signature on forest cover loss compared to shifting cultivation, because in the latter, the forest regenerates”
• The scientist says that it is important to map the loss of forest cover due to developmental activities.
  • The construction of roads on mountains can have a devastating effect on forests.
• Environment activists also suggests that the definition of forest they have used is one of convenience and it definitely isn’t the right picture
  • ISFR 2021 defines forest cover as “all land, more than one hectare in area, with a tree canopy density of more than 10%, irrespective of ownership and legal status."
  • However, such land may not necessarily be a recorded forest area as it also includes orchards, bamboos and plantations.
  • If plantations are excluded, the forest cover of the North-East will decrease further.
  • For example, in Assam, there are many tea gardens with shade trees that will easily cross the 10% cover threshold and get wrongly classified as forest.

Concerns:

• The consequences of the forest loss are ominous for the region’s rich flora and fauna and biodiversity.
• Moreover, it will become vulnerable to climate change impacts due to the loss in carbon sequestration capacity.
  • Deforestation and degradation of forest land themselves generate additional amounts of carbon dioxide, thus contributing to global warming and climate change.
• Omi Gurung, a social entrepreneur popularly known as the ‘Green Man of Sikkim’, says that the people in his state have been vocal against environmental destruction.
  • Even they are facing the ill-effects of forest cover loss. Water supply to Gangtok has been rationed to one hour daily as the source lake froze due to climate change.
  • He further adds that, in recent times, there have been incidents of bears straying into the main marketplace of Gangtok in search of food. This is happening because the animals are losing their habitat.
• Agriculture is one of the biggest sources of employment for people in the North-East.
  • The loss of forests will only amplify the biggest risks to agriculture in the region today: desertification, soil erosion, shrinking water tables and paradoxically, floods.
  • Agricultural incomes and productivity have already been severely hit by these ecological risks and this will only worsen over the next decade.
• Climate change has apparently been a major deterrent for the tea industry in Assam.
• The lack of rainfall in 2021 hit the industry hard.
  • In 2021, plucking was started from May though it generally starts in March.
  • In normal years, Assam produce around 700 million kgs of tea. In 2021, Assam produced 55 million kgs less than in 2019.
• Declining incomes have already caused a rural employment crisis in the region. Unless we seriously change our course on our forests, this employment crisis will deepen further.

Conservationists says that though the region needs development but it shouldn’t come at the cost of the environment, as the region is known as a biodiversity hotspot.

Hence, the government should have stricter laws in place to stop deforestation.

Way Forward:

We need to invest seriously in rewilding the forests and transitioning to climate-resilient agroforestry that also offers more economic resilience for communities.

• Chairman of FICCI North-East Advisory Council, estimates that a whopping ₹4.5 trillion can be earned over a 30-year period through agroforestry, sustainable bamboo and other allied sustainable businesses, and by tapping into global carbon markets.
• Moirangthem Loiya, a resident of Imphal-West, who has turned a hill into a 300-acre forest, says that with proper awareness, forests can be restored.
  • He suggests, Illegal poppy plantations, jhum cultivation, illegal timber logging and some developmental work are the main factors behind the forest cover loss in Manipur.
  • As per him, to ensure that people don’t destroy forests, you need to provide them alternative livelihoods.
• Ecotourism can also be one of the way forward for the region. Tourists are mainly attracted to North-East India because of the region’s biodiversity and culture.
  • We need to ensure sustainable tourism so that there is minimal pressure on the environment.

Source: Live Mint

Mains Question:

Q. The North East region of India needs development but it shouldn’t come at the cost of the environment. Discuss (250 Words).