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Celebrating 2011 as the International Year of Forests.
“People who will not sustain trees
will soon live in a world that will not sustain people”
Bryce Nelson.
‘Forests for People’, is the slogan adopted by the United Nation to Celebrate 2011 as the International Year of Forests. The aim of this campaign is to globally promote awareness about the benefits of healthy forests and increase the role of the people for sustainable development and preservation of the forests. Forests contain 80% of the world’s biodiversity – land, plants and animals. Forests provide us with clean air and water and several resources. Therefore, their conservation is essential for our survival. The time has come for Individuals, societies, institutions and governments of the world to join hands in this endeavor.
(a) Forests are the lungs of our planet as they capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and emit oxygen. Not many of us are aware that trees hold carbon dioxide for decades within themselves and bury it in the ground when they die. Unfortunately in the rat-race of the industrial age, global pollution has grown and the forests have greatly reduced. Yet, it has been estimated that even though the forest cover on our planet is only 31% of the land area, the trees hold twice the amount of carbon dioxide as the atmosphere. They are our natural and economical defence against global warming.
(b) Forests provide a balance for the water cycle. They recycle water vapour into the atmosphere and help maintain rainfall cycles, preventing floods and droughts. Their trunks and roots prevent soil erosion.
(c) Moreover, almost a quarter of humanity depends on forests for livelihood, like the poor, local forest communities. Forests are their source of fuel wood, food and fruits, building material, medicines, cultural and religious traditions.
(d) The flora and fauna of the forest is exceptionally useful in scientific research especially in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, agriculture industry etc. In addition, the forest product industry is a source of employment and wealth, globally.
In conclusion, all these facts prove that forests are a natural treasure for us and our future generations’ well-being. Thus, it is our moral responsibility to conserve these treasures and celebrate their existence. So, what can we do? To begin with we should learn about our immediate surroundings. Awareness will help us to manage our environment better and act correctly. We should reduce our carbon-footprint - walk, cycle, use public transport and buy locally grown foods as much as possible. We should reuse, repair and recycle products. We must utilize the information technology to its fullest and reduce use of paper; wherever possible. We must not exploit forest species or indulge in deforestation, for our greed. We must not use, eat or buy endangered species. We must share our knowledge and experiences with others. Celebrity participation and films on this subject will promote the cause and reach out to more people. And most of all, we must plant more trees. As Martin Luther King said, “Even if I know that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” Therefore, it is valid to say, that presently, while we are the biggest threat to these forests, we are also the only hope for protecting them.
Science Essay Writing Competition
How green is my city? Focussing on the trees of Delhi
The trees come up to my window like the yearning voice of the dumb earth. - Rabindra Nath Tagore
The lush green sprawling lawns of Lodhi Garden, the innumerable, hugely spread trees laden with ripe, sweet fruit, the cool shade of the hardy peepal and neem are just a few to name. Kachnar, Kanak Champa, Sheesham and Bel are found round the corner of every street in Delhi. Even the Mughals and then the British fell in love with this princely state and spent millions to beautify their territory. This favoured place for green lovers is a haven for solitude lovers, too.
People might call Delhi a green city hearing about all the plants here. But are mere trees and plants enough to call Delhi a ‘Green City’? I would say ‘No’. Our state is so over-populated that infrastructure, buildings an roads, the enemies of greenery, are increasing day by day. Tons of laws are made by the government about having parks in every colony and gardeners for the green belt, but none are enforced.Who is there to see whether these laws are being followed are not? As true citizens of our country, every individual must do the following: We must return the resources we utilize back to the environment, or use only that much amount of these resources as much as we can replenish. Doing this will help us reach a self-sustained environment. Usage of fossil fuels (petroleum) should be decreased and renewable energy- solar and wind energy must be utilized. Every city is supposed to have a forest but is the lung of our Delhi big enough? I do not think so. Trees should be planted but instead, deforestation has become more common.
Yet some parts of the state, like Lutyen’s Delhi, have been maintained very well. Rashtrapati Bhavan still stands high with pride amongst breath-taking, shady trees. Sandstone monuments hold their heads with plants coloured with coloured with loads of flowers in the background. I still love going to India Gate and plucking fresh jamuns from the trees. The citadel has been taken care of, but the other areas are going from bad to worse. Instead of trees reaching the blue skies, buildings have choked their throats.
Lack of willpower, focus, funds, education, awareness, efficiency, capability and incresing corruption result in an imbalance of the desired output. We, as true citizens of this country, have the right an it is our duty to spread awareness, exert pressure on the government to focus on this and contribute our energies, efforts and expertise to acheive our goal of a ‘GREEN DELHI, CLEAN DELHI’.
Nikita Dhawan
Class 7B
I am Madra , a six month old tiger cub living in the jungles of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve under the watchful and protective eyes of my mother the Tigress Kankati. I rarely see my father Bitu who as the dominant male is always struggling hard to retain his territory. While I enjoy a carefree life playing with my 2 siblings with no responsibilities I hear horror stories from my mother of how much they struggled and though the situation has improved there is a lot more that can improve.
Our fathers mark the territory they rule but humans choose to encroach and reduce our territory. We actually are peace loving and only fight if it is an issue of food, survival or territory. Though we even allow humans to coexist they misbehave when they see us in our own territory and when we act in self-defense they are so weak they get killed. If humans stopped encroaching on our land there would also not be any complaints of man animal conflicts.
In addition humans are cutting down the forest cover with no concern for the environment . While the humans think they are the smartest how come they do not realize the damage to the environment and consequent long term effect to the entire food chain . We all want to live in a clean green world and also ensure sustainable life for ourselves and our future generations.
The local human must also realize that they are in our territory and we have allowed them to stay there . They must respect us, our health and our lives. Mother remains stressed about what we eat as our earlier siblings from another litter were poisoned by some local villagers as mother had preyed on a goat from the village for our dinner which angered some villagers. They must be educated on our behavior and punished for such foolishness.
We do understand that since we are royalty , “ Lords of the Jungle” and few in numbers humans are curious to see us. However this interest is at unacceptable levels. Humans have constructed roads deep into our territory and invade our privacy in every way. When we siblings venture out for a drink of water hordes of tourists in screeching jeeps are following us and blocking our path while mother is stressing about our welfare. We too like a little privacy and would like to be left alone.
These tourists must also respect our territory as well as the environment . They come into our territory and leave it littered and dirty with plastic bottles , bags , wrappers etc. This really irritates mother as she loves a neat and clean home.
Obviously one of the greatest fears we live in is that of our life against illegal poachers . We hunt only to survive and fill our stomach but these poachers are killing unnecesarrily and only for greed . They want our skins for decoration and our bones and parts for medicines. Humans must control this incorrect urge and in case of failure there must be a strict mechanism in place to punish them for these excesses.
Mom hopes that if not in lifetime but during my life we shall see some of these changes where we can have a peaceful existence without fear of our lives from illegal poaching , some privacy and respect for our land and environment .
Asees Kaur
Celebrating 2011 as the International Year of Forests
The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests in order to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. An International Year of Forests 2011- logo has been designed to convey the theme of “Forests for People”.
Forests are one of the precious natural resources on the earth. They provide us with various natural services and play an important role in economy of the nation. Forests provide shelter to people and habitat to biodiversity; they are a source of food, medicine and clean water; and play a vital role in maintaining a stable global climate and environment. Forests are vital to the survival and well being of people.
Forests are an integral part of global sustainable development. Forest-related economic activities affect livelihoods of 1.6 billion people worldwide; they provide socio-cultural benefits and are the foundation for indigenous knowledge; and as ecosystems, forests play a critical role in mitigating the effects of climate change and protecting biodiversity. Forests play a critical role in absorbing the greenhouse gases that have been attributed to climate change.
The forest resources of the world are under threat due to overexploitation, deforestation, urbanization, shifting cultivation practices, natural disasters etc. Considering the importance of forests, there is need to Protect and Conserve the Forest ecosystem. The International Year of the Forests provides an excellent platform to increase awareness of the connections between healthy forests, ecosystems, people and economies.
Various activities will be organized all over the world to celebrate this International Year and foster knowledge exchange on practical strategies to promote sustainable forest management. Governments, regional and international organizations and civil society organizations are expected to create national committees and designate focal points in their respective countries to facilitate organization of activities in support of the International Year of Forests. The United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat has been tasked with serving as the focal point for the implementation of the International Year of Forests.
A website for the International Year of Forests has been established by the United Nations- http://www.un.org/en/events/iyof2011/
India is one of the countries with rich forest resource in the world. In India Forest is the second largest land use next to agriculture. The forests play vital role in harboring more than 45,000 floral and 81,000 faunal species of which 5150 floral and 1837 faunal species are endemic.
As per the India State of Forest Report, 2009, the total forest cover of the country is 690,899 km²constituting 21.02 % of the geographic area of the country. Madhya Pradesh has got the largest forest cover in the country followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Orissa. Mangrove cover in India accounts for 3 % of the world’s mangrove vegetation and is spread over an area of 4,639 km2 in the coastal States/UTs of the country. This accounts for 0.14% of the country's total geographic area.
Various measures are being taken up to conserve this forest resource. India’s National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC) includes National Mission for a Green India. This mission underlines the indispensable role of forests in the preservation of ecological balance, maintenance of biodiversity and as effective carbon sinks. It builds on the Prime Minister’s Green India campaign for afforestation of 6 million hectares and the national target of increasing land area under forest cover to 33%. It is to be implemented on degraded forest land through Joint Forest Management Committees set up under State Departments of Forests.
India will also launch its own dedicated forestry satellite in 2013 to enable real-time monitoring of both deforestation and afforestation in the country.
All these efforts along with the effective public participation will definitely help to achieve the Sustainable management and conservation of forests in India.
Rishab