Deforestation in developing countries

Through numerous studies that have been done before, it has been determined that a lot of countries across the globe are experiencing severe deforestation. They include thirty-nine countries from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. While timber is an integral part of our daily lives, most of these responsible for ensuring sustainable use of this non-renewable resource have failed to ensure more trees are being planted. Sadly, the effects have already started showing in some of these regions but still the urge to increase forest cover has not improved. With that in mind, the paper reviews estimates of deforestation in developing nations, analyzes the effects of deforestation and possible causes. Although it may not be possible to prevent the poor population from utilizing the available resources, there is a possibility of decreasing some of the risks that increase in population poses on natural resources via voluntary family planning.

A lot of conservation groups have realized that the individuals they work with in high-growth and high-biodiversity societies are in dire need of family planning skills. Therefore, if such organizations can collaborate with reproductive health organizations, there can be acceleration in conservation progress, and indicators of health are enhanced. Some of the most common causes of deforestation are listed below. i. At extensively fewer population counts (such as a single to two persons per square kilometer), there is a possibility of maintaining large forest covers. Big forests can as well be preserved in areas where population sustenance is possible through non-timber forest product harvesting instead of through agriculture. In sparsely populated regions, external forces like cattle of timber demand in different parts of the country can lead deforestation.

This does not directly link the activity to local population density. Such occurrence has been experienced in some regions of Brazilian Amazon (Carley). The park is inhabited by about eighty-one mountain gorillas. The bigger area covered by these three nations’ houses the entire worldwide population of these particular gorillas. As such, the handy relative to human beings is greatly endangered by human’s greedy need for the forests which feed and shelter them (Screiciu). Charcoal derived from Virunga wood as an important product for survival stands for one among the few means of livelihood in the region. Production of charcoal is a fifteen-million-dollar industry. The activity is driven by the increase in population density and is usually the predominant deforestation factor (Carley).

iv. Commercial Logging The demand for timber products is at its highest recorded level. The result is that businessmen resort to even use illegal means to meet this demand. In Brazil for instance, there was an increase in illegal sawmills in Tailandia after a crackdown by the government in 2008 (Carley). In case the greenhouse gasses are in excess they can lead to change in climate. This phenomenon is as a result of the increase in infrared radiation emitted from these gases. Reduction of trees does not just reduce the amount of carbon stored but also the burning releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The reason being that when trees die, they give the carbon that they had saved. Regarding international forest resources assessment 2010, deforestation releases almost one billion tons of carbon into the air annually.

They also reduce water pollution through stoppage of polluted runoff. According to the national geographic, over fifty percent of the water in the ecosystem is held by the plants (Chakravarty). iv. Soil Erosion The roots safeguard the soil from blowing and washing away which might cause challenges in the growth of vegetation (Chakravarty). v. People who survive by the forests lose livelihoods. Global warming is also another major challenge. The causes and its impacts of this negative activity can be stopped if everybody does their bit towards securing the environment. Sustainable methods of farming that help optimize productivity without having effects on the forest areas will be essential. Also, there needs to be strict monitoring and management of tree cutting by competent governmental and nonprofit organizations.