Deforestation devastates biodiversity and natural habitats and degrades natural resources. In the developing world, 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their food, fuel, and livelihoods. The real economic value of forests is much greater than the short-term benefits of logging or clearing land for agriculture. In the longer run, the loss of biodiversity, habitat, and natural resources will affect food production in both developed and developing countries.
But the most severe consequence of them all may be global warming, which is caused by deforestation. This harmful reinforcing sequence of deforestation and climate change not only puts the global food production system at risk but also impedes our ability to maintain a healthy society. Time is fast running out to save tropical and other forests.
What is Deforestation?
Deforestation refers to the decrease in forest areas across the world that are lost for other uses such as agricultural croplands, urbanization, or mining activities, it has been negatively affecting natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and the climate.
Why Deforestation is Happening:
Multiple factors, either of human or natural origin, cause deforestation. Natural factors include natural forest fires or parasite-caused diseases which can result in deforestation. Nevertheless, human activities are among the main causes of global deforestation. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the expansion of agriculture caused nearly 80% of global deforestation, with the construction of infrastructures such as roads or dams, together with mining activities and urbanization, making up the remaining causes of deforestation.