Essay Sample on Deforestation as a Global Concern

Introduction

Human activities such as urbanization, logging, crop farming, livestock rearing, and construction of physical infrastructure have significantly increased deforestation, making it a global environmental problem. An environmental mess arises anytime there is a negative change in both quantity and quality of any factors that indirectly and directly impact on the health of man as well as other living organisms in adverse ways. It is, therefore, vital to understand the cause of the environmental problems like deforestation to make a better prediction and genuine management possible. Furthermore, various criteria like the number of nations and people involved, geographical distribution, temporary and long-term effects, the degree of international effects, the irreversibility degree of the problem, the impact degree on living standard, social structure, health, and economy, are used by surveyors and analysts to reach an amicable solution to the menace. This paper focuses on causes of deforestation such as urbanization and housing, logging, creating space for cattle ranching, infrastructure expansion, agricultural expansion, and overpopulation.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Urbanization and Housing

Due to demand for basic needs like shelter and expansion of urban centres, people encroach and clear forests to provide these spaces required for housing. Many urban areas were once forest covers, but, due to increase in human population, there is high demand for scarce resources like fuel and space that, again, leads to deforestation. An example is Trabzon city in Turkey that is built on deforested land and its surrounding experiences occasional fires meant to clear the forest for hotels and accommodations.

Livestock Ranching

Forest clearing for ranches contributes immensely to deforestation. Countries leading globally in exporting beef, like Brazil, have lost forest area, nearly the size of Texas. This is due to the global demand for beef and government support for the initiative that involves a large number of livestock. The Amazon forest is cleared for grass and other fodder production as well as for cattle space. It is the leading deforestation factor in the Amazon forest at 80 per cent.

Agricultural Expansion

Plantations are the leading world drivers of tropical deforestation at 80 per cent. According to Barraclough, (2013), large forests are converted into agricultural plantations due to an increase in global demand for commodities like soybeans, cocoa, coffee and palm oil. For instance, palm oil is used to make detergents, cosmetics and food products like margarine, ice cream, and shower gel, which are consumed every day. Again, imperfect implementation of environmental regulations makes producers invade protected areas, set fires, and clear the forest without any precaution. Furthermore, cheap land, government subsidies and labour contribute to more production and consequently supply of agricultural produce. A case study in Indonesia and the number one palm oil producer globally is the 'fastest forest destroyer' according to 2008 Guinness World Record.

Logging

Both legal and illegal logging is drivers to deforestation. Different factors that contribute to illegal logging include; first, rural poverty. Communities living around the forest entirely depend on fuel, shelter, food and construction materials from the forest hence constant logging. Secondly, cheaper products sold in black markets, for instance, illegal timber is cheaper than legal timber which denies legal businesses a competitive advantage. Other countries like China and Japan that illicit timber import worsens the problem of illegal logging. Next, illegal charcoal and furniture trade is a contributor to illegal logging. Most individuals in developing countries fully depend on charcoal for cooking and heating hence their illicit hardwood logging to make high-quality charcoal. The soaring demand for furniture also propels illegal logging in that business owners only focus on selfish monetary gains. Finally, laxity and weaknesses in forest governance encourage illegal logging. The law enforcers in producer countries have limited resources, weak institutions, and improper land use management like in the case of Indonesia.

Infrastructure Expansion

Road construction provides an entryway to remote lands thereby leading to deforestation due to logging itself. The encroachment of roads on forests exposes forest interiors to diseases and pests, waterway sedimentation and increase erosion. For example, the Interoceanic Highway, which runs from Peru to Brazil contributes immensely to illegal logging in the Amazon rainforest. The deforested land then attracts incursion of settlers and eventual breach of peace due to scramble for resources. As a result of the intrusion of pests, the Amazon forest is under critical stage due to illegal logging, (Hargrave and Kis-Katos, 2013).

Overpopulation

Uniyal et al. (2017), argues that population growth directly relates to a rise in the demand for food and shelter among other resources. As a result, food production must rise to meet the demand, and forested areas are deforested to settle the homeless. The rapid conversion of forested areas into agricultural land and settlement results to other demands for timber, firewood, and shelter that are extracted from the forest. This directly leads to logging which is very destructive to the environment. Among the forest encroached due to overpopulation include Amazon rain forest.

Conclusion

Deforestation is a vital issue to be discussed because it's adverse effects on all living organisms is beyond measure. There is a huge decline in forests which is a global concern in today's life due to cutting down trees to manufacture paper products and livestock farming. Trees are cut and converted to farmland, to meet the food demand on the ever-growing population, which is a threat to the ecosystem. It is, therefore, advisable to take bold steps in afforestation and adherence to strict global laws to protect the environment. Finally, every individual is accountable for the conservation of forests.

References

Barraclough, S. L. (2013). Agricultural expansion and tropical deforestation: International trade, poverty, and land use. Routledge.

Hargrave, J., & Kis-Katos, K. (2013). Economic causes of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon: a panel data analysis for the 2000s. Environmental and Resource Economics, 54(4), 471-494.

Uniyal, S., Paliwal, R., Kaphaliya, B., & Sharma, R. K. (2017). Human Overpopulation: Impact on Environment. In Environmental Issues Surrounding Human Overpopulation(pp. 1-11). IGI Global.