When we say forest, we understand it as a large area covered with trees, and a tree is a tall plant that can live for a long time. The FAO provides a more specific definition of a forest: it is a land area of more than 0.5 ha with trees that are taller than 5 meters, and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent. It estimates that forests cover 31 percent of the world’s land surface and threats to global forests are growing. According to FAO, a total of 420 million hectares of forest area deforested between 1990 and 2020, and deforestation rate is 10 million hectares per year in 2015 and 2020.
The FAO also suggested that unless additional action is taken, 289 million ha of forest would be deforested between 2016 and 2050 in the tropic alone. The main driving force for deforestation is expanding agriculture due to increased population.
Nepal represents about 0.1 percent and 0.15 percent of global land and forest area, respectively. Although Nepal’s forests occupy only 0.15 percent of the world’s forest, their coverage in the country is higher (44.7%) compared to global (31%) and neighboring countries i.e., China (22.9%) and India (21.71%). Nepal has the second highest forest coverage in South Asia, after Bhutan (69.7%). Forests in Nepal are not similar; they differ in composition and structure due to biotic and abiotic factors.
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Forests are an important component of the water cycle and the changes in land use can disrupt the cycle by decreasing precipitation and affecting river flow and volume. Disturbing the water cycle can affect the environment. The environment is everything that is around us. It can be living (such as animals, birds and plants) and non-living (such as sunlight, water and soil) things. Living things live in their environment and constantly interact with it and adapt themselves to the conditions of their environment. Each part of the environment plays a crucial role in sustaining life and ensuring the health of the planet by performing essential functions such as providing resources, regulating climate, supporting biodiversity, and decomposing waste. However, these vital roles are increasingly threatened by activities related to urbanization and industrialization, including deforestation, habitat destruction, and air and water pollution. These activities release greenhouse gases (consisting of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and water vapor), which contribute to global warming.
Scientists have come to the consensus that global warming is primarily caused by the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Urbanization and industrialization contribute to higher greenhouse gas emissions due to excessive energy use and deforestation, leading to environmental deterioration. According to the European Commission in 2023, carbon dioxide accounts for 73.7 percent of the total emission in the atmosphere which is mostly from the burning of fossil fuels. The second contributors are methane (18.9%) and nitrous oxide (4.7%). It is widely agreed that earth’s rising temperature is driving more frequent hotter waves, prolonged drought, and heavier rainfall, which we all experience in our daily lives. The global population is projected to reach 9.7 billion in 2050. This indicates the possibility of further environmental deterioration caused by increased production, consumption, and waste generation unless measures are taken. It is estimated that annual global consumption of natural resources such as biomass, fossil fuel, metal and minerals could be more than double by 2060 which further leads to environmental deterioration. Environmental deterioration contributes to climate change, biodiversity loss, and emergence of new diseases.
Climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion are seen as global environmental problems. The 2030 agenda for sustainable development recognizes climate change as one of the biggest challenges of the present time. Climate change is caused by global warming, primarily caused by the rising level of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere. The World Economic Forum projected that climate change costs the world 12 percent GDP losses for every 1° C temperature of warming. Similarly, the social costs for carbon could be around $1,056 per metric ton of carbon dioxide emissions, and global carbon emissions were about 37.55 billion metric tons in 2023. The emissions of greenhouse gases continue to rise globally, which will have adverse impacts of climate change in all countries, particularly developing nations that are vulnerable. It is estimated that the cost to fight climate change, protect biodiversity and reduce pollution is nearly $5.5 trillion per year from 2023 – 2030. Scientists have developed a consensus to put their efforts in limiting global temperature to 1.5° C which would help to avoid the worst climate impacts and maintain a livable climate. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggests that limiting the mean temperature rise to 1.5° C requires human activities to become carbon neutral by 2050. It also advocates for green growth for economic growth, which promotes economic growth and development using natural resources in a sustainable manner.
Fighting climate change, protecting biodiversity and reducing pollution are costly. In this context, protecting the environment through the conservation and restoration of trees is one of the quickest and most cost-effective approaches for the solution to addressing climate change. Forests play a major role in climate mitigation by absorbing carbon and are also an effective way to lower temperature. Forests act as two-way highways, absorbing CO2 when standing or regrowing and releasing it when cleared or degraded. According to the US Forest Service, a matured tree can absorb up to 21 kg of carbon dioxide per year. Global forests emit an average of 8.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year due to deforestation and other disturbances and absorb 16 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year (Harris and Gibbs, 2021). A tree will absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen in exchange. Clean air and water reduce the risks of infectious and noncommunicable diseases. Forests also help mitigate the health impacts of water pollution – a driver of infectious diarrheal diseases – through reducing soil erosion and sediment load, filtering pollutants from water and reducing pollutant inputs associated with human land use.
Scientists estimate that 3 trillion trees exist globally and planting 1.2 trillion additional trees would have the carbon dioxide storage capacity to offset a decade’s worth of carbon dioxide emissions.
The United Nations has launched the ‘Trillion Tree Campaign’ to conserve, restore and grow a trillion trees by 2030. Over 100 companies have committed to investing in tree conservation, restoration and planting with the goal of conserving, restoring and growing over 12 billion trees across more than 100 countries. Companies from diverse sectors such as mining and automobile manufacturing are investing in forest conservation and restoration. For example, Mahendra has committed to planting over 1 million trees per year. Globalization is a new reality, as the world has changed – and continues to change.
As Anthony Giddens said, whether one wants to be part of globalization or not, people around the world are inseparably linked in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events happening miles away. Therefore, we need to be part of globalization and promote forests by joining hands in conserving, restoring and growing trees. Moreover, we can contribute to climate action by minimizing our carbon footprint by promoting sustainability, reducing emissions, and supporting local food systems. Let’s act and be role models. The changes we can make might be small, but it is important to start at home.
