Overview :
Kokan has breathtaking beauty. It is a land sandwiched between Western Ghats (Sahyadri Mountains) towards East and West Arabian Sea.
The areas around Western Ghats are covered by dense forest. These forests are shelters to millions of species and they also yield high values of teak, bamboo … etc. The areas around Arabian Sea are well-known for beautiful beaches.
The region receives heavy rainfall so natural vegetation is abundant. The vegetation mainly consists of the forest region of the Western Ghats. The coastal region has paddy fields as the vegetation. The coastal belt consists of eminent trees like the mango and the coconut and shrubs.
Historically also Konkan was very popular because of its geographical location i.e. mountainous terrain and the Arabia Sea, and that is why the Marathas, Mughals, Portugals and Britishers had made their history in the region. The Great Maratha King Shivaji’s capital Raigad Fort and other various forts like Pratapgadh, Sudhagad and Shivneri are the important historical monuments of the region also Sea forts like Janjira, Harnei, Sindhudurg add to the glory of astonishing old-age architecture.
All the above factors have contributed to the Konkan to be as popular tourist destination.
Causes of Deforestation :
Presently the forest of Kokan regions is depleted at a very fast rate due to human activity. Although humans have been practicing deforestation since ages, but today forests began to be destroyed at an unprecedented rate. Below are some of the common causes of deforestation :
The trees are cut down for lumber that is used for building materials, furniture, and paper products;
Forests are cleared in order to accommodate expanding urban areas;
Forests are cut down in order to clear land for growing crops;
Forests are cut down in order create land for grazing cattle;
Trees are cut down to be used as firewood or turned into charcoal, which are used for cooking and heating purposes; and
Clearing forests for oil and mining exploitation, to make highways and roads, slash and burn farming techniques, wildfires, and acid rain.
There are also many causes of contemporary deforestation, including corruption of government institutions, the inequitable distribution of wealth and power, population growth and overpopulation.
General effects of Deforestation :
Generally effects of deforestation can be classified and grouped into effects to biodiversity, environment and social settings. Because deforestation basically involves killing trees in forests, there are so many effects that can be enumerated as results of the activity, such as :
Erosion of Soil : When forest areas are cleared, it results in exposing the soil to the sun, making it very dry and eventually, infertile, due to volatile nutrients such as nitrogen being lost. In addition, when there is rainfall, it washes away the rest of the nutrients, which flow with the rainwater into waterways. Because of this, merely replanting trees may not help in solving the problems caused by deforestation, for by the time the trees mature, the soil will be totally devoid of essential nutrients. Ultimately, cultivation in this land will also become impossible, resulting in the land becoming useless. Large tracts of land will be rendered permanently impoverished due to soil erosion.
Disruption of Water Cycle : Trees contribute in a large way in maintaining the water cycle. They draw up water via their roots which is then released into the atmosphere. A large part of the water that circulates in the ecosystem of rainforests, for instance, remains inside the plants. When these trees are cut down it results in the climate getting drier in that area.
Now, imagine what happens when there is not enough forests anymore. Water from rain would simply flow through the soil surface and not be retained by the soil. Or other than that, the water from rain would not stay in the soil longer, for the process of evaporation would immediately set in. Thus, the water table is not replenished, leading to drying up of wells.
Loss of Biodiversity : Forests are natural habitats to many types of animals and organisms. That is why, when there is deforestation, many animals are left without shelters. Those that manage to go through the flat lands and residential sites are then killed by people. Thus, biodiversity is significantly lowered because of the savage deforestation practices.
Therefore, wildlife advocates have been constantly reminding that several wild animals left in the world could still be saved if deforested forests would only be reforested and the practice of slash and burn of forests would be totally abandoned.
Flooding and Drought : One of the vital functions of forests is to absorb and store great amounts of water quickly when there are heavy rains. When forests are cut down, this regulation of the flow of water is disrupted, which leads to alternating periods of flood and then drought in the affected area.
Climate Change : It is well known that global warming is being caused largely due to emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. However, what is not known quite as well is that deforestation has a direction association with carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Trees act as a major storage depot for carbon, since they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is then used to produce carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that make up trees. When deforestation occurs, many of the trees are burnt or they are allowed to rot, which results in releasing the carbon that is stored in them as carbon dioxide. This, in turn, leads to greater concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Deforestation effects on Konkan Region :
Look at the above pictures, the nature itself answer about our region beauty and that is why the region is very popular among tourist. We all have been brought up in this natural surrounding; the nature also has strong affection towards our social life.
As discuss above the general effect of deforestation, now imagine if deforestation activities are carried at so heavy pace in our region, how it will affect our social life.
Deforestation is hardly hitting the living conditions of indigenous people who consider forests as their primary habitats. Imagine how they are rendered homeless when forests are depleted. These natives would be forced to live elsewhere, and are usually left to becoming mendicants in rural and urban areas.
Lands have been acquired for industrial estates and hotels in total disregard of its ecological and social impacts. Even nature conservation proposals have only led to opposition, ire and bitterness among locals. They confer little long-term benefits to the residents in terms of income and employment deprives them of their means of livelihood and lifestyle while threatening the biological base of their life.
Overall, effects of deforestation cannot be offset by the contribution of the practice to development. While it is logical that progress is very much needed by mankind, it must also be noted that nature knows no defeat. Destruct it and it would certainly retaliate, one way or another.
A deforestation activity must be reduced. Simple way of reducing deforestation is to create awareness and educate people in the concept of reforestation. People have to realize the effects of deforestation on biodiversity, environment and social settings. They have to be educated on the impact of its on global climate change. Climate change is affecting Kokan coast in a big way and its impacts are many and serious such as erratic monsoon, migration of agricultural zones, spread of tropical diseases, sea level rise, change in availability of fresh water, floods, droughts, heat waves, storms, hurricanes … etc. An unusually warm winter battered Alphonso mangoes’ yield down by 75% along the Kokan coast during the last few years; our native specialties are hit the worst.
People shall also be educated on the subject of pollution. They shall be given knowledge on the importance of forests in reducing the amount of pollutants in the air. So, the depletion of these groups of trees is greatly increasing the risk that carbon monoxide would reach the atmosphere and result in the depletion of the ozone layer, which in turn results to global warming.
Thus reforestation is very important concept to reduce global warming in our region. We Kokanis by the grace of god own good part of land which is not properly utilized. Even Government has encouraged people to plant more trees by launching so many subsidized schemes; people are still not taking advantage from it. Thus, we are now in a troubled state when it comes to issues concerning the environment.
So if Kokanis would like to retain their region beauty, individual participation and contribution is required in reforestation process; if each individual can at least plant one tree per year, imagine the numbers in a year.
This concept is practically proven in China, where large scale destruction of forests has occurred, the government has in the past required that every able-bodied citizen between the ages of 11 and 60 plant 3 to 5 trees per year or do the equivalent amount of work in other forest services. The government claims that at least 1 billion trees have been planted in China every year since 1982. There has been a 47-million-hectare increase in forest area in China since the 1970s. The total number of trees amounted to be about 35 billion and 4.55% of China’s land mass increased in forest coverage. The forest coverage was 12% two decades ago and now is 16.55%.
So let individual participate and contribute in reforestation process and pledge that we will protect our beautiful green belt of Kokan.
