Deforestation refers to the loss or destruction of naturally occurring forests. Deforestation is a growing global problem with dire environmental and economic consequences.
(In)Human activities such as logging timber, cutting trees for fuel, clearing land for livestock, over-grazing of animals, mining operations, oil extraction, dam building etc and government apathy towards forest conservation are the main factors responsible for Deforestation.
Deforestation causes:
- Desertification
- Global Warming
- Loss of habitat of millions of species
- Climate change
- Irregular rainfall,
- Famines and droughts
- Unprecedented floods etc.
According to the World Wide Fund (WWF) forests still cover about 31 percent of the Earth’s surface, but each year we are losing 18.7 million acres of forests annually.
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The most feasible solution to deforestation is to carefully manage forest resources by eliminating clear-cutting to make sure forest environments remain intact. The cutting that does occur should be balanced by planting young trees to replace older trees felled.
