Mitigation Measures for Deforestation

ProtectionandConservationOnemeasuretohelpmitigatethenegativeimpactsof deforestationintropical rainforestsisthroughprotectionandconversationof therainforests. Conservationreferstoprotectingtheenvironment anditsnatural resourcesfromharm. It involvesmaintenance,restorationandwisemanagement of resourcestoavoidpermanent depletion. Protectionof forestedareasreferstothesettingof lawstoprotect anareafromunfavourableactivitieswhichmayendanger thebiodiversityandnatural resourcesfoundinthat area.Activitiesthat donot damagetheforest environment likeecotourism, areallowedandencouraged. Thecultureandtraditionsof theindigeniouspeoplewouldalsobepreserved.Therefore, protectedlandscanbeusedfor educational purposes, scientificresearchandecotourism, andallowthefuturegenerationstocontinuetoadmirethediversebiodiversityintheecosystem. AnexampleistheBetungKerihunNatureReservewhichwasset upin1992. It ishometoadiverserangeof animalssuchastheorangutans,honeybearsandgibbons. ThisnaturereservealsoextendsintoBrunei andMalaysiaandisreferredtoasthe‘Heart of Borneoʼ. TheWorldWideFundfor Natureisworkingcloselywiththethreenationstoincreaseprotectedareasandmanagethereservesustainablyinajoint effort toprotect thereserve. Therefore, theprotectionandconservationofrainforestshelpstominimiselossof biodiversity, indigenouscommunitiesandtheircultureaswell asother negativeimpactsof deforestationthat damagetheforestenvironment. ReforestationandAfforestationOnemeasuretohelpmitigatethenegativeimpactsof deforestationisreforestationandafforestation. Reforestationistheprocessof plantingtreesinareaswherethedeforestationhastakenplace. Afforestationreferstotheprocessof plantingtreesinareasthat werenot originallycoveredwithforests. Reforestationprovidesmanybenefitssuchasanincreaseinwildlifehabitat, cleanandabundant water.Reforestationalsohasafaster radiusof effect over alarger landarea. Asfor afforestation, it createsnewcarbondioxidesinkswhichhelpstodecreasetheamount of carbondioxideintheenvironment.Thiswill leadtoreducedglobal warming. For example, therehavebeensomereforestationprojectsintheAmazonrainforest inwhichorganisationspartner withlocalcommunities. Onesuchproject isReforestationinPeru, organisedbyacompanycalledLATALatinAmericaTravel Association) Foundation. LATAFoundationbuysseedlingsfromvariousstakeholdersandpayslocal communitiestoplant trees. Byacquiringthisstrategy, alargeamount of themoneygoesbacktothelocal communities. Asaresult, atotal of 70,000treeswereplantedin2011. Thishelpedtoreducetheamount of carbondioxideintheatmosphereandlessentheeffectsof global warming. Therefore,ReforestationandAfforestationcanimprovesoil fertilityandinthelongterm, it canensureacontinuoussupplyof essential productsandmayhelptosustainplant growthinthearea, makingit oneof themitigationmeasuresfor deforestation.

PublicEducationOnemeasuretohelpmitigatethenegativeimpactsof deforestationispubliceducation.Publiceducationallowspeopleof all agesandfromall walksof lifetounderstanddeforestationandthenegativeimpact it hasontheenvironment. Publiceducationwillspreadawarenessof theseverityof deforestation, convincingthepeopletochangetheirconsumptionhabitstoconservetheforestssuchaspurchasingeco-friendlyproductsandpromotingselectivecontrolledlogging, withtheabilitytoreachalarger groupofaudience. After receivingpubliceducation, peoplewouldhavechangedviewstowardsdeforestationandthiswoulddecreasedeforestationrates, astheyknowabout theharmbrought about bydeforestation.Oneexampleof publiceducationwouldbetheembassyof Brazil inSingaporelaunchinganexhibitionabout theAmazonrainforest, titledAmazoniainSingaporein2009. Theexhibitionshowcasedthebiodiversityof therainforest andraisedawarenessof management andconservationstrategies. Giganticpanels, photographs, videosandinstallationsgavevisitorsamulti-sensoryexperienceoftherainforest. Photographsof indigenouscommunitiesandartefactshelpedvisitorsunderstandthelifestyleof thepeopleandhowtheforest providesfor them. Therefore, ifpeopleunderstoodmoreabout theforest andhowdeforestationharmstheenvironment,theywouldbeactivelyagainst deforestation. Hence, publiceducationisausefulmitigationstrategyasit doesnot forcepeopletoabidebylaws, but insteadturnenvironmental awarenessintotheir ownmindset andhelpthemtobemoreappreciativeoftherainforestsandhelptobeagainst deforestation. ControlledLoggingOnemeasuretohelpmitigatetheimpactsof deforestationiscontrolledlogging.Controlledloggingreferstothecareful management of foreststhat arebeinglogged. Itallowsloggingonlyincertainareasandinasustainablemanner Several waystocontrolloggingwouldbetoimposefinesor other formsof punishment onthosewhocarryoutillegal logging. Educationandresearchprogrammesmight alsobearrangedtoinformtimber companiesof thedamagecausedbydeforestationanddiscussmeasurestotaketomanagetheextent of thedamage. Thisencouragespeopletocut downlesser trees.Another waytocontrol loggingistoreducetheimpact of loggingbycuttingdownselectedspeciesof trees. Loggingcompaniesalsocanstill get their timber neededsustainablyandcountriesthat relyonsellingforest productsstill canhaveasourceofincome. Anexampleof controlledloggingwouldbeaprogrammestartedbytheBrazilianInstituteof Environment andRenewableResources, whereeverytreethat iscut downisaccountedfor.. Thispreventsthetotal clearanceof aforest. Studieshavefoundthatreduced-impact loggingcanbeusedtoreducecarbonemissionsbyupto40tonsperhectareof forest comparedtoconventional logging. This, combinedwiththepreservationof higher levelsinbiodiversityinselectivelyloggedforests, lendsastrongcasetosustainableforest management over standardtimber-harvestingtechniques. Therefore,controlledloggingcanhelptomitigatetheimpactsof deforestation.