Deforestation: The Great Global Challenge
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Deforestation has been a serious concern for global society for some time now. The world has lost over one third of its forested areas over the past 10,000 years, and in over the last 300 years, it lost 1.5 billion hectares of forest, an area roughly the size of the United States. One of the main drivers of deforestation has been agricultural cultivation, which in 2018, accounted for 15% of total forested land, with 31% being attributed to grazing land.
The rate of global deforestation inclined rapidly from 1920 up to the 1980’s where it peaked. During the 1980’s the world lost 150 million hectares of land, an area about half the size of India. The rate of deforestation has steadily declined from the 1990’s onwards, and in fact several countries around the world have moved past what is referred to as the ‘forest transition point’, where the rate of forest regrowth surpasses the rate of deforestation.
While this may the case, the world still loses approximately 5 million hectares of forest each year, much of which occurs in tropical regions where rainforests absorb the bulk of C02 that is released year-round. If forested areas continue to decline at this rate, the planet will lose the ability to sequester sufficient amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere, causing global temperatures to rise and the associated extreme weather conditions to worsen.
In this article, we will consider the present state of deforestation around the world today and look at some of the main contributing factors. We’ll also consider some of the solutions that have been put forwards in recent years, such as carbon markets and carbon offsets, as a means of preventing forest loss and creating a more balanced approach towards forest conservation.
What exactly is deforestation?
It’s good for us to have a working definition of deforestation before we proceed to understand the main drivers that are responsible for it. The term deforestation is used to describe any situation which involves the complete removal of trees from a particular area for purposes which may include agricultural cultivation, mining, the construction of energy-related infrastructure, or the development of towns and cities. Deforestation is distinguishable from forest degradation, where a forest loses its canopy without any change occurring to the land itself. Any situation involving deforestation usually results in the land becoming permanently barren of forested area, while with regards to degradation, the lost forest often regrows over time.
What are some of the causes of deforestation around the world?
Global deforestation that takes place today can be broadly associated with either food production or urban development. Many commodity-driven activities in which forests are converted for other land uses, including agriculture operations like soybean plantations and cattle ranching, are deforestation contributors. Deforestation is also associated with urbanization activities, in which forests are converted into towns, cities and urban infrastructure like roads.
The agricultural sector is the biggest contributor towards deforestation, as many agricultural operations require large portions of land to be set aside for the production of agricultural crops. The major drivers of deforestation within the agricultural sector are the beef, oilseeds and forestry sectors.
Between 2010 and 2014, the total land area that underwent deforestation within these three sectors were 2,1057,537 hectares, 960,609 hectares and 678,733 hectares respectively. Within the beef industry, activities relating to land clearance for cattle pastures constitute the bulk of forest loss. In the oilseeds sector, soybean and palm oil plantations are largely responsible for the deforestation that occurs, while in the forestry sector, timber plantations are a major contributor to deforestation.
Apart from deforestation, forest degradation is another contributor towards global forest losses, and primarily occurs as a result of shifting agriculture, forestry production and wildfires. Shifting agriculture is where small to medium scale forests are converted for farming purposes and then allowed to regrow over time, and is commonly associated with subsistence farming where crops and cattle are cultivated before farmers move to another location. Forestry production on the other hand refers to the periodic logging of managed, planted forests for products such as timber, paper or pulp. Here, the forests will be allowed to regrow once they have been extracted of the necessary resources.
Where does deforestation occur most in the world?
To understand global forest loss, it’s important to be familiar with a term known as forest transition. Forest transition refers to the period in which a forested area goes from being dense and heavily populated with tree cover to then losing tree cover at an increasingly rapid rate, before subsequently re-growing the forested area later over time. There are four categories to the transition period:
Many of the wealthier nations around the world such as Europe, North America, Japan and South Korea have moved beyond the transition phase and are experiencing active reforestation, in which forests are regrowing at a higher rate than they are being lost. Brazil, which experienced very rapid deforestation in the 1980s and 90s has now entered the late transition phase. In Southeast Asia, counties such as Indonesia, Myanmar and Cambodia are still in the early-transition phase and are experiencing forest loss at a rapid rate.
There is also a distinction that needs to be made here with regards to geographic forest loss. Much of the deforestation that occurs today happens in tropical climates, such as those in Latin American and South East Asia, as opposed to temperate climates countries such as those in North America and Europe. In fact, 95% of all of all global deforestation occurs in regions with a tropical climate.
What is the difference between tropical forest loss and temperate forest loss?
Tropical forests are found next to the equator and experience a higher level or rainfall compared to temperate forests. They also contain rich and diverse ecosystems, and are home to more than half of the world’s wildlife species. Crucially, tropical rainforests are more effective at capturing carbon from the atmosphere.
As mentioned above, deforestation largely takes place in tropical climates, while the temperate climates of today predominantly experience forest degradation. While degradation definitely has impacts on forest health, these are still comparatively minimal as when entire areas of forest are permanently removed. When the latter occurs, almost all the carbon stored in the trees and vegetation is lost. This is particularly damaging as far as climate concerns go when it occurs in tropical forest regions.
How can carbon markets and carbon offsets help to manage global deforestation?
Carbon markets offer a viable means of combating the negative environmental impacts of deforestation. A carbon market is one where companies trade instruments that relate to greenhouse gas emissions. These can be either in the form of carbon credits or carbon offsets.
There are two types of carbon markets; Compliance Markets and Voluntary Markets. In a compliance market (often referred to as an Emissions Trading Scheme), an issuing body will determine the maximum permissible emissions that is allowed for the network of companies under its purview, and distribute credits accordingly to those companies. A company which emits more than the allowed amount will become a buyer in that market while a company that emits less will become a seller.
In a Voluntary Market, a company purchases offsets to reduce their level of emissions. A carbon offset is a credit that corresponds to the level of emissions that have been reduced. Companies can reduce their emissions by capturing and storing greenhouse gas emissions, engaging in renewable energy projects, or investing in nature-based solutions which involve afforestation and reforestation initiatives.
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As companies show increasing interest in reducing their emissions, the emergence of carbon offset projects has become more pronounced around the world. Here, an organization will carry out a carbon offsetting project and allow buyers to purchase the offset from them to be traded on the market. One type of offset that has grown in popularity comes in the form of nature-based solutions, in which initiatives are undertaken to protect, sustainably manage or restore natural ecosystems. Many of these solutions often involve tree-planting initiatives such as afforestation and reforestation.
What is afforestation and reforestation?
One of the most direct approaches to countering the impact of deforestation is through afforestation and reforestation. Afforestation is where trees are planted in locations where none have grown for at least 50 years, while reforestation is where trees are replanted or allowed to naturally regenerate in locations that were previously populated with tree life. Other pro-forestry approaches include increasing the tree biomass in degraded forest regions, integrating trees into croplands or pasture through agroforestry, and integrating them into metropolitan areas through urban forestry.
Afforestation projects provide a number of benefits to the areas in which they are planted, the foremost of these being the additional forest cover and carbon capture potential that they afford. In some communities, the planting of trees in locations where there were none before can provide shelter from heavy windfall or prevent soil erosion. In China for instance, afforestation projects have been carried out to provide a shelterbelt which helps to prevent dust storms. Parts of these afforestation projects can also support the subsistence of local communities, such as in Kyrgyzstan, where the afforestation of walnut and fruit trees served as a means of income and food for those living in the designated region.
There are also compelling economic benefits for afforestation projects. For instance, one popular form of afforestation that is widely carried out involves the planting of timber which is harvested and sold on the markets. This generally involves planting pine, teak and eucalyptus plants on designated land areas which absorb a certain amount of carbon over time. Here, the timber company is able to make a profit from the sale of the commodity, while at the same time offering the timber as a sustainably produced product, and marketing it as an offsets in exchange for carbon credits.
Afforestation projects have been carried out in various locations around the world, including North Africa, where they support the prevention of desertification in particular regions. The Great Green Wall Project in the Sahel region is one such example, in which 100 million hectares of forest is aiming to be planted by 2030.
While afforestation is indeed a useful and proactive way of increasing forest cover around the world, a vital consideration is that the appropriate type of tree species is planted in the designated regions. Some trees may counterproductive to the productive growth of the ecosystem if, for instance, they require more water from the soil as compared with the native tree species.
Reforestation projects, on the other hand, involve the planting of trees on areas that have been recently removed of tree life. Reforestation is carried out to restore deforested land and improve the quality of degraded forests. The benefits of reforestation are many, including erosion control, water purification and carbon sequestration, as well as the restoration of biodiversity and wildlife.
Reforestation projects also have the greatest potential in terms of carbon removal from the atmosphere. When reforestation efforts are carried out to recreate natural forest diversity through the planting of mixed species, particularly when this is done within existing forest areas, they are able to sequester a large amount of carbon.
In India, the government has placed much emphasis on afforestation and reforestation initiatives, and in the state of Uttar Pradesh, 1 million people organized the historic planting of 220 million trees in one day.
What are some other possible solutions?
Indeed, afforestation and reforestation are the most direct means for resolving the issue of deforestation, however alternative solutions also exist for addressing this issue in the longer term. These lie largely in the development of novel technological approaches that reduce our dependency on large scale agricultural activities.
Vertical farming, for instance is one such technological development that could reduce our dependency on conventional agricultural operations. Indoor agricultural operations or what is referred to as controlled-environmental agriculture allow farming operations to take place in vertically stacked indoor environments, which require considerably far less land. While these operations can be expensive and energy intensive, continued innovations in this area could make them highly viable and economically attractive in the years to come.
Another innovation that offer a climate-friendly alternatives to conventional agricultural practices is lab-grown meat, in which meats are cultivated in laboratory environments using genetic culturing and produced for consumption purposes. Insect farming is another attractive emerging area which could potentially provide a source of highly nutritious protein for human consumption in the long run.
In addition to these, technologies that support the agricultural sector in improving yields could also reduce the rate of deforestation. Digital management systems, artificial Intelligence, machine vision and a host of other current and emerging technological solutions hold the potential for improving agricultural production efficiencies, therein allowing resources to be used more economically and improving productivity. These solutions could therefore reduce dependency on excessive land usage as agricultural operators become more efficient and sustainable with regards to their operations.
Keeping our forests thriving for tomorrow
The issue of deforestation is indeed one that requires diligent and concerted efforts from both governments and private institutions to be properly managed. From a commercial perspective, the existence of carbon markets and carbon offsetting mechanisms offer an economically realistic means for reducing the deforestation associated with commercial activities.
With regards to the agricultural sector, emerging technological solutions in the form of vertical farming and lab grown meat could also provide viable alternatives to conventional agricultural practices associated with large-scale land use change. Furthermore, technological developments which improve production efficiencies could also reduce dependency on widespread land use change.
As our collective awareness of the need to preserve our natural ecosystems continues to grow, and public pressure continues to mount seeking sustainable sources for products and services, the hope is that business will continue to invest in technologies and initiatives that promote greater sustainability and opt away from deforestation intensive operations.
It is crucial for us to recognize that we still have an abundance of forest available today, making it that much more important for us to ensure that we preserve these incredibly important resources for all future generations. Carbon markets and offsetting schemes are certainly a step in the right direction, and with more support for initiatives such as these, we have a winning chance at keeping our forests thriving, and protecting the health of the people and the planet into the coming century and beyond.
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