Invest in the planet's health

Forests cover 31% of the world’s land surface, or approximately 4.06 billion hectares, acting as an important buffer against climate change

A healthy, equitable future for homo sapiens is dependent on the health and integrity of ecosystems and habitats. Healthy communities rely on well-functioning ecosystems. They provide clean air, fresh water, medicines, and food security. But we are losing biodiversity at unprecedented rates, impacting human wellbeing worldwide.

Forests cover 31 per cent of the world’s land surface, or approximately 4.06 billion hectares, acting as an important buffer against climate change. However, global forest cover has declined by one million square-kilometres since 1960, while cropland and pasture have increased to roughly the same extent.

According to the India State of Forest Report 2021, the total ‘recorded forest area’ in the country is 7,38,373 sq km. The proportion of ‘very dense’ and ‘moderately dense’ forests within the total ‘recorded forest area’ is 44.33 per cent.

India during the last five years diverted over 88,903 hectares of forest land for non-forestry purposes, with the highest of over 19,424 hectares being for road construction projects.

Human and wildlife well-being are inextricably linked. When humans coexist with and avoid persecuting wildlife in and around communities, the health of the ecosystem, agricultural and food security, and ecotourism will all flourish. However, every year, hundreds of humans and thousands of animals die due to human-wildlife conflicts (HWC). India is most affected by HWC because it has the world’s largest human population as well as large populations of tigers, Asian elephants, one-horned rhinos, Asiatic lions, and other species.

The increase in the number of tigers in India is good news, but the rise in tiger population has also shrunk their habitat. As a result, HWC has increased drastically in every Tiger Reserve in the country. According to the fifth cycle of the All-India Tiger Estimation (2022), released last week, the number of tigers in India has risen by 200 in the last 4 years. In contrast, the data revealed that the Western Ghats recorded a significant decline. The numbers here fell from 981 tigers in 2018 to 824 in 2022. Experts are concerned that this could signal an even higher number of HWCs. Their reasons are simple: tigers today don’t have sufficient forest cover, prey availability, and water and are venturing into human-populated areas for survival.

Nearly 30 per cent of Kerala’s geographical area is forested, and it has a healthy wildlife population with 190 tigers and 5,706 elephants.

According to Kerala Forest Department data (March 2022), the state has, since 2011, reported 34,875 cases of wildlife attacks, leaving 1,233 dead and 6,803 injured. 126 human lives were lost in elephant attacks alone in the state in the past six years (2014–20), while the number of deaths at the national level is 3,310. The shrinking of their habitat and corridors forces these jumbos to stray into human settlements.

Increasing forest encroachment in several parts of the state is becoming a source of concern for forest officials. Over 30 lakh people are living on the periphery of 23 protected forests spread across 115 densely populated panchayats in Kerala.

In a landmark decision on June 3, 2022, the Supreme Court mandated a minimum of 1 km of Ecologically Sensitive Zone, or buffer zone, around all protected forests in the country. However, due to vote bank politics and strong objections from Kerala, including from churches and political parties, the Supreme Court in January 2023 decided to refer the petitions seeking amendments to the buffer zone judgement to a three-judge bench. The final verdict is still awaited.

It may not be possible to Completely eradicate HWC. But well-planned, integrated approaches to managing it can reduce conflicts and lead to a form of coexistence between people and animals.

The Union Minister for Environment, Forests, and Climate Change recently released 14 guidelines to address HWC. A buffer zone between the forest boundary and the human settlement, shifting of dense human settlements from near forest land, regeneration of vegetation within the forest area, effective electric or solar fencing, etc. are some of the practical steps to adopt.

While we observe Earth Day diligently on April 22 every year, we need to do more to convince the world of the need to invest more in our planet to improve our environment, minimise human-animal conflict, and give our descendants a better and safer future.

(The writer is a member of the UN roster of consultants on environment and development.)