Forests are at our service, but we...
This year, the World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated under the title and theme "Forests: Nature at your service" in order to draw attention to the plight of forests all over the world. The theme complements the focus of the UN International Year (2011) of Forests. The benevolent roles of forests for human beings, most animals, and the over all world ecosystems can hardly be overemphasised. Forests provide home to more than 300 million people worldwide, and over 1.6 billion people depend on forests directly for their livelihood. Forests are essential for the wellbeing of the animals (that directly or indirectly depend on green plants). They are a critical element of the Earth's ecosystem. In addition, forests are home to 80% of terrestrial biodiversity. But are we doing justice to this part (forest) of nature that is always at our service? What we are doing goes against nature, and thus we are failing to repay our debts to mother earth. This year's June 5 global program is hosted by India. But this big neighboring country of ours is also doing much harm to the forest ecosystem. According to UNEP, India's 1.2 billion people continue to put pressure on forests especially in densely populated areas where people are cultivating on marginal lands and where overgrazing is contributing to desertification. However, the Indian government has found some solutions to the undue pressure on forests by embarking on tree-planting to combat land-degradation and desertification, including windbreaks and shelterbelts to protect agricultural land. The country has successfully introduced projects that track the health of the plants, animals, water and other natural resources, including the Sunderbans -- the largest deltaic mangrove forest in the world and home to one of India's most iconic wildlife species -- the tiger. India has also launched a compensation afforestation programme under which any diversion of public forests for non-forestry purposes is compensated through afforestation in degraded or non-forested land. The funds received as compensation are used to improve forest management and the protection of forests and watershed areas. Bangladesh is located in the north subtropical belt of the world, and thus was the natural home of both evergreen and deciduous forests harbouring many fauna including the Royal Bengal Tiger spread over many areas, now confined only to the Sundarbans. Due mainly to undue privilege that, our own species -- homo sapiens -- have been enjoying by reproducing at geometrical rates in this small country has created heavy pressure on the land's entire ecosystem including the forests. From about 20% of the area in pre-independence years, forest cover of the country has now dwindled to about 7%. Forests of the entire Bhawal-Modhupur tract have now almost disappeared. Forests in the CHT and Sylhet areas and in the Sundarbans have shrunk considerably. Whatever remains suffers degradation. Even the reserve forests are now under threat. However, as this year's WED host country India has been trying for reforestation and afforestation, Bangladesh is also not sitting idle. Every year, our head of the government inaugurates on June 1 the annual tree-plantation programme centrally that encourages both reforestation and afforestation throughout the country. But we have some wrong choice of plant species and varieties: many are addicted to exotic plants that usually do much harm to our ecosystem. The "social forestry" project had much potential, but we could not use this for betterment of our forests; instead we further degraded the situation through planting alien tree species like Eucalyptus, Acacia etc. More harm is done to forests due to greed, corruption, and incompetence of the protectors. In the name of "development" of forests, misguided projects, such as construction of eco-parks, have been taken up, mainly to misappropriate project money. These misguided projects have disrupted both the flora and fauna of the forests and the life and livelihood of the local people both in the hills and the plains. The most serious crime to our forests, and even to the reforested areas, especially in the coastal belt, is done by political goons who cut trees and clear the place for grabbing it for some 'industrial purposes.' Such unpardonable crimes are committed to the forests, and transplanted trees during these days of democracy -- it is simply unbelievable. Since deforestation and degradation of forests are taking heavy tolls on the country's overall environment. Some steps need to be taken urgently by both the "serving" government and the mass people at large. I would like to put forward the following suggestions for regaining at least a part of our forest in the natural setting: * The family planning program that was doing well earlier must be rejuvenated as soon as possible. Population must be kept controlled in this small country. This single step can save much of our flora and fauna including the forest. * The nation's utility services must be spread over the country through decentralisation; thus the craze for living in the capital and/or divisional cities will lessen. This will decrease the undue pressure on natural ecosystems in or nearby areas of the cities, and thus trees would have chances to live along with other flora and fauna. * The plant varieties for reforestation, afforestation etc. must be chosen mostly from our indigenous species, realising that every geographical area of the Earth has some specific natural characteristic; we have got no right to play with that. * Lastly, our politicians need to grow better human qualities. They and especially their younger followers (who don't count trees as living beings at all) must shun the "seasonal business" of making money by any means including indiscriminate felling of trees.
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