Rise of Global Temperature: A Warning

Recent unusual rise of global earth temperature, 0.60°C warmer than the 1991-2020 average and 1.48°C warmer than the 1850-1900 pre-industrial level, was a warning of nature: “stop cutting trees and start planting.”

An important Message (Prophetic Sayings) “Planting a tree by a man is like a Charitable Gift” may help the mankind to understand the value of Tree (Forest). As a matter of fact, fate of human depends on fate of Forests.

Forests are indispensable to human health and livelihoods. They clear the air around us and help lessen the hazardous effects of climate change. Carbon dioxide along with other greenhouse gasses covers the earth which leads to global warming and climate change. The world is now warming faster than at any point in recorded history. For all the increasing danger of Greenhouse Effect, more and more of Forest Cover is the answer. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/causes-effects-climate-change

At present Global Forests Cover is about 31 percent of the world’s land surface, just over 4 billion hectares which is much less than the pre-industrial period area of 5.9 billion hectares, a loss (deforestation) a huge loss of 1.9 billion hectares of Natural Forest Cover.

More than 50 % of World’s Forest cover is found only in five countries of the world, namely the Russia (20.1%), Brazil (12.2%), Canada (8.6%), the United States of America (7.6%) and China (5.4%). (FAO)

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the world’s forest area has shrunk by 420 million hectares since 1990. It is really worrying. Greenhouse Gases are increasing and forest cover decreasing. The trend can be reversed if common man understands role of Forests in arresting global warming.

People must know the horrifying results of deforestation and the urgent need of reforestation throughout the world. Probably the best example in understanding the value of tree as a gift to nature comes from Japan.

How important forests are in human life can be considered from the fact that during the last century, the eco-system has changed in areas where vegetation has been neglected and forests have been cleared. The people had to face calamities like typhoon, drought and famine.

Innocent people interpreted these accidents as divine and heavenly calamities and considered them to be God’s wrath, but the truth is that all these accidents are the result of the human’s own shortcomings and are created by him. Isn’t it worth pondering that if the greenery disappears before our eyes and there are no forests left, then how can we survive on our own?

Before bringing man to earth, nature considered it necessary to create a paradise of fruits and plants for him and he could fulfill all his needs from this environment. Man embellished his life with the forests of these plants. Everything was available to him in these plants.

Food, clothing, shelter, medicine, everything is needed. But gradually man forgot the favors of the plants and started cutting the branches on which they had their nests. In the intoxication of industrial development, he forgot that the forests which he is destroying indiscriminately for his unnecessary needs and lust will not only lead to its destruction and ruin, but human existence itself will be in danger.

The conscious citizen of today’s civilized world is well aware that the benefits of forests are more than one. Forests play an important role in maintaining the ecology of the area.

On the one hand, the water of the earth spreads through the roots of the plants, through the stems and leaves and helps to form clouds, and on the other hand, the same plants invite the clouds of the forests to thunder and rain as if there is a cycle of water between the earth and the sky.

And when this cycle continues, the flood does not succeed in releasing its wrath. And the land is also protected from Soil Erosion.

Whether there is dust or harmful germs in the air or toxic gases, strong winds or ear-splitting noises, forests do the job of absorbing all of them and eliminating their effects. As a matter of fact, forests act as a huge sink for different types of air pollution. It is said that one hectare of forest absorbs three metric tons of polluted air and produces 2 tons of oxygen in return.

Thus, scientists believe that a peepal tree (Ficus religiosa) cleans 2,252 kg of polluted air during its lifetime and produces about 1,713 kg of oxygen, which is enough for 60,000 people.

These are the benefits of forests, which we cannot see with our eyes, but understand only through our intelligence and research. Apart from this, everyone knows that forests are the habitats of animals and birds which are an important part of our ecology.

Fuel and building wood are obtained from forests. For natural glue, resin, herbal fiber and tannin, forests are also important sources.

In the last century, man has forgotten the importance of forests and wanted to destroy them, the losses of which are now beginning to appear, and it is strongly felt that if the further destruction of forests is not stopped, the entire humanity will come under threat.

Deforestation negatively affects climate change, global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, flooding leads to destruction of wildlife, reduction of human quality of life, acidification of oceans and gradual loss of biodiversity.

It is commendable that trees are being planted on a large scale under the Social Forestry program in various states of India, in which the public is also contributing. According to the Indian State of Forest Report, 2021, India’s present total forest cover was 24.62 percent of the country’s total land area which is one of the ten most forest-rich countries of the world at 9.  

With people’s support target of 33% would be achieved in coming years. Madhya Pradesh has the highest forest cover by area followed by Arunachal Pradesh.

Some of the Asian countries with satisfactory Forest Cover (percent of total Landmass) are as follows: (Source: FAO, Wikipedia))

Nepal: Bhutan, 72%; Japan, 66.45%: Malaysia, 55.3%; Indonesia, 52.1% (at 8th position of world’s forest cover); Myanmar, Seventh-most deforested country in the world according to FRA-2020. The area of forest cover had decreased from 57.9 % of the country area in 1990 to 42.19% in 2020; Brunei, 81%; South Korea, 64.3%; Viet Nam, 39.7%; Cambodia, 48.3%.

Some other data (More than 5%) of the Asian Countries is as follows (FAO and Wikipedia)

Thailand, 31.6%; Sri Lanka, 29.7; Philippine, 25.7%; China, 24.2%; Bangladesh, 14.2%; Turkiye, 15%; Singapore, 21.4%; Lebanon, 14.1%; Azerbaijan, 13.8%; Turkmenistan, 8.8%; Uzbekistan, 8.4%; Kyrgyzstan, 7%; Iran, 6.6.