City’s tree cover declines and deforestation alerts raise environmental concerns
GUWAHATI: The decline in Guwahati’s tree cover has become a cause for concern among residents and environmentalists alike. According to the recent data by Global Forest Watch, the city has witnessed a significant loss in its tree cover over the past few decades, sparking worries about environmental sustainability and biodiversity conservation. The depletion of tree cover not only affects the aesthetic appeal of the city but also has far-reaching consequences on air quality, climate regulation, and overall ecological balance.
According to data from Global Forest Watch, Kamrup Metropolitan in Assam witnessed a significant loss in tree cover from 2001 to 2023, amounting to 1.25 thousand hectares. This represents a striking 100% decrease since 2000, contributing to 0.39% of the global total loss. The decline in tree cover has led to the emission of 523 kilotons of CO2 equivalents.
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Talking to GPlus, Pramod Kalita, Deepor Beel activist said, “The loss of trees and other vegetation can cause climate change, desertification, soil erosion, fewer crops, flooding, increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and a host of problems for the indigenous people.”
Kalita further added, “Without trees, formerly forested areas would become drier and more prone to extreme droughts. When rain did come, flooding would be disastrous. Massive erosion”
On the other hand, Guwahati has also witnessed a significant increase in deforestation alerts, with 299 reported between May 6 and May 13, 2024. These alerts, covering a total area of 3 hectares, highlight the growing threat to the city’s green cover and ecosystem.
Despite the high number of alerts, none were identified as high confidence alerts by a single system or detected by multiple systems. This lack of high confidence alerts raises questions about the accuracy and effectiveness of current monitoring mechanisms.
Forests play a crucial role in combating climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide from the air as they grow, acting as a carbon sink. However, when forests are cleared or degraded, they release stored carbon dioxide, contributing to the acceleration of climate change.
The loss of primary forest is another concerning trend. From 2002 to 2023, Kamrup Metropolitan lost 17 hectares of humid primary forest, constituting 1.4% of its total tree cover loss during the same period. Additionally, the total area of humid primary forest decreased by 1.2%, during this timeframe.
Not all tree cover loss qualifies as deforestation, which specifically denotes the permanent removal of natural forest cover due to human activities. Tree cover loss can also result from natural disturbances such as fire, disease, or storm damage, in addition to human-caused factors like logging. It’s important to recognise these distinctions, as not all instances of tree cover loss have the same environmental impact as deforestation.
Fires have been a significant driver of tree cover loss in the region, accounting for 19 hectares of loss from 2001 to 2023.
The year 2010 recorded the highest loss due to fires, with 3 hectares lost, and representing 5.4% of all tree cover loss for that year. Historical fire alerts from May 17, 2021, to May 13, 2024, indicate a total of 256 VIIRS alerts in Kamrup Metropolitan.
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The proportion of tree covers loss due to fires in Kamrup Metropolitan between 2001 and 2023 stands at 1.5%. This indicates the severity of fire incidents in exacerbating deforestation in the region.
The northeast region of India has witnessed a staggering 75% of the country’s total tree cover loss from 2001 to 2023, as revealed by data from the Global Forest Watch (GFW).
