Deforestation and Heat-Related Mortality in Tropical Regions

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment, Climate Change, Biodiversity

Context

• A recent study published in Nature Climate Change revealed that deforestation-induced warming caused nearly 28,000 additional heat-related deaths annually in tropical regions between 2001 and 2020.

Deforestation in the Tropics

• Tropical forests are biodiversity-rich ecosystems found mainly in South America, Africa, and Asia. 
• Significance: They act as significant carbon sinks, absorbing greenhouse gases through photosynthesis and regulating the hydrological cycle.
  • However, large-scale deforestation has led to both climate impacts and loss of human lives.
• According to the study, 1.6 million sq. km of tropical forest cover was lost globally between 2001 and 2020:
  • Central and South America: 7,60,000 sq. km
  • Southeast Asia: 4,90,000 sq. km
  • Tropical Africa: 3,40,000 sq. km

Causes of Deforestation

• Agricultural expansion: Commercial-scale farming for commodities like soy, palm oil etc is the largest driver of deforestation, especially in tropical regions.
• Logging and timber extraction: Both legal and illegal harvesting for wood and paper contributes significantly to forest loss and degradation.
  • The construction of logging roads also enables further forest destruction.
• Infrastructure development: Expanding cities, building new roads and dams, and mining operations directly clear forested areas and fragment ecosystems.
• Unsustainable subsistence activities: For rural populations, the collection of fuelwood and the practice of shifting cultivation (slash-and-burn farming) contribute to forest degradation.

Impacts of Deforestation

• Release of Stored Carbon Dioxide: Tropical forests act as major carbon sinks, storing huge amounts of carbon in soils and woody biomass.
  • When forests are cleared, this carbon is released as CO₂, accelerating global warming.
• Loss of Local Cooling Effect of Trees: Trees and plants absorb water from the soil and release it into the atmosphere as water vapour through transpiration.
  • This process cools the air above, acting as a natural air conditioner.
  • When forests are cleared, this cooling mechanism disappears, leading to higher local temperatures.
• Biodiversity Loss: Deforestation destroys habitats for countless species, leading to a decline in biodiversity and potential loss of important ecosystem services like pollination and soil fertility.
• Human Health and Mortality: An estimated 28,300 deaths are annually linked to deforestation-induced warming. Extreme heat, coupled with high humidity, increases risks of heat stroke and organ failure.
  • Southeast Asia accounted for more than half due to population density and heat vulnerability.
• Socio-Economic Impacts: Deforestation often leads to the loss of livelihoods for people dependent on forest resources, impacting indigenous and rural communities disproportionately.

Challenges in Addressing Deforestation

• Economic Dependence: Agricultural exports and timber trade remain major sources of income for tropical countries.
• Weak Governance: Poor enforcement of forest conservation laws.
• Population Pressure: Rising demand for food and land.
• Health Linkages: Limited recognition of deforestation’s direct impact on human mortality.

Steps Taken Across the Globe

• Global Initiatives: 
  • The United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD Programme) was launched in 2008 as a joint effort of the FAO, UNDP, and UNEP.
  • The Paris Agreement (2015) acknowledges the crucial role of forests in addressing climate change by emphasizing the need to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
  • Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use (2021): Pledged to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030.
  • The Amazon Fund, established in 2008 to finance projects that prevent, monitor, and combat deforestation and forest degradation in the Amazon Biome, as well as promote conservation and the sustainable use of forests.
• India’s Initiatives:
  • National Mission for a Green India (GIM): A mission under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) that aims to increase forest cover and improve existing forest quality to combat climate change.
  • Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act (2016): An act that ensures funds for afforestation and related activities by requiring users of forest land for non-forest purposes to pay compensatory levies.
  • Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs): Areas designated around Protected Areas (National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries) to act as a buffer and minimize the negative impact of certain human activities on fragile ecosystems.
  • Joint Forest Management (JFM): A program that fosters partnerships between state forest departments and local communities to protect, and regenerate forest resources.

Way Ahead

• Strengthen International Cooperation: Global South requires financial and technological support to reduce deforestation without sacrificing development.
• Integrate Health Dimension: Climate-health linkages of deforestation should be included in policy frameworks.
• Community Empowerment: Indigenous communities must be involved in conservation decision-making.
• Forest Monitoring: Use satellite-based technologies for real-time tracking.
  • Global Forest Watch, a real-time forest monitoring system using satellite technology (supported by World Resources Institute).
  • In India, the Forest Survey of India (FSI) uses satellite data for biennial State of Forest Reports.

Source: IE