Deforestation: Causes and Control

The Nationtl Forest Policy 1988 stipulates that the country as a whole, sbould have one third of its land area under forest cover. As against this policy the officially recorded forest areas is only 75.18 million hectare i.e. only 22 8% of the geograpbical area of the country. The satellite data pertaining to the period of 1985-1987 reveals that the actual forest cover extends over 64.01 million hectare only. Over the last four years the country has been losing its forest at the rate of 47500 ha per annum. On a close scrutiny it is found that overwhelming dependence on firewood for domestic energy, and the use of forest lands as grazing ground have been the two major causes of depletion of forest cover in the country in 1987, the firewood consumption in the country was to the tune of 235 million m³ while sustainable level of production is only 40 million m³. As of now 99 million caltle units graze in the forests of the country, which have a carrying capacity of only 31 million cattle units. The author pleads that the conservation of forests is possible only if the management of forests is not considered in isolation but in conjunction with the management and consenation of three others bio-productive systems viz., agricultural lands, grasslands and fisheries. The author also suggests that for effective management, it is necessary not only to classify forests on a functional basis but also to assign to each class an appropriate level of control, and an agency for management.