Open Letter: The Issue of Deforestation in the Philippines
By: T A Y O
Tags: Climate Change

Open Letter: The Issue of Deforestation in the Philippines

Article written by Anagha Chakravarti

Graphic by Nicholas Carpo

To whom it may concern,

According to the World Wildlife Fund, the Earth loses 18.7 million acres of forests per year, which is equal to 27 soccer fields every minute. Deforestation is the act of clearing a wide area of trees. This represents one of the largest issues of global land use, as trees serve several benefits: they produce oxygen and clean the atmosphere for us to breathe, and provide us with natural resources like wood, and lumber for infrastructure, agricultural, and personal uses. Though they benefit us in these ways, many humans continue to clear forest areas for their own uses, thus threatening forests worldwide.

Let us imagine how life was like a couple of hundred years ago. There were small villages along riversides. There was a relatively low population, with everyone living in harmony with nature. There was no technology or any advanced tools. People would cut a few trees a day to meet their basic needs. Resources like wood were preserved and not wasted on a concerning scale. But as our human population has increased, and as there have been new inventions and methods, our pressure on the environment has increased drastically. The main causes of deforestation in forests like the Amazon include clearing land for agriculture, urban development, and cattle ranching to meet human needs. Such activities have caused the deforestation of over 120,000 square kilometers per year. There are several consequences of deforestation, which impact not only wild plants and animals but human beings.

First, deforestation causes soil erosion. Soil doesn’t always stay in the same place unless anchored by tree’s roots. So when humans clear large forests, soil erosion becomes a huge problem; loose soil can cause mudslides and may wash into rivers, which can clog waterways and damage irrigation infrastructure. Another negative effect is sedimentation, or when large amounts of soil from land wash into water bodies, blocking sunlight and oxygen for the aquatic animals. With an increased amount of forests cleared every year, we also increase the possibilities of these things occurring, bringing more damage to the world.

Moving on, the water cycle is the process by which all water on earth is distributed. When large numbers of trees are down, the water they extract, store and release into the atmosphere is no longer present. This leads to reduced precipitation levels, which is detrimental for tropical and agricultural countries like the Philippines as we highly depend on rainwater for harvesting crops and such.

Deforestation contributes to 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions each year. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and are efficient greenhouse gas filters. But when they are cut down, the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that were stored in their trunks and leaves are released into the atmosphere. So gases such as methane and carbon dioxide are released into the Earth’s atmosphere, contributing to climate change. In fact, according to the Carbon Footprint, deforestation accounts for 15% of global greenhouse gases. If there are no trees to absorb these greenhouse gases, then they will stay in the atmosphere and temperatures will rise. Climate change is affecting all life on the planet, and increasing the prevalence of natural disasters. Without trees, the intensity of storms and hurricanes will also increase, threatening civilians and infrastructure.

Biodiversity losses affect ecosystems as deforestation strips animals of their natural habitats in forests. 8 out of 10 species found on land live in forests, and the rapid cutting down of trees can lead to the loss of life as some animals cannot easily adapt to other habitats. Overall, some of the many consequences of lost forests include desertification, biodiversity loss, and soil erosion.

However, some countries are addressing the effects and issues brought by deforestation, such as Brazil and Indonesia; Brazilians have a project called Amazon region protected areas (APRA), which aims to devote 150 million acres of the forest for the protection and conversation of the Amazon forest wherein no human activities or interference is allowed. In Indonesia, their Borneo forest (which is also known as the third-largest rainforest in the world) has several forest reserves, like the Sepilok forest reserve. Government agencies near Borneo provide the reserve with security and also control visitor numbers.

Forests are essential to human survival. So without trees, what are we? Let us take a stand together to protect our forests and carry out all our actions in a more sustainable manner.

Sources:

https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/deforestation-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions

https://www.livescience.com/27692-deforestation.html

https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/deforestation-and-forest-degradation

https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/deforestation-and-forest-degradation