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In this brief and to-the-point (10 precise points) talk, Rajesh Thadani presents the issues confronting Himalayan forests and the solutions that need to be implemented to preserve them and the communities that depend on them.
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Forests of the Himalaya
Current Scenario, Future Prospects
Rajesh Thadani & Prof. S.P.Singh
Indian Mountain Initiative, SMDS III
Kohima,
26 September, 2013
1. Forest Cover is Declining
• Quality: Loss of dense forest (>40% canopy)
Current Scenario
1. Forest Cover is Declining
• Quantity : Loss of Forest Cover for development, HEPs, urbanisation…
Current Scenario
Despite differences in physical and cultural traits, Himalayan forests have many similar issues
• Chronic disturbance
• Weakened community institutions
• Developmental pressures (HEP, roads)
• Fragmentation - hindering migration and climate change mitigation responses.
Current Scenario
2. Similar narratives across the E-W arc
3. Recognition of Ecosystem Services
• Flood dampening effects of forests, the ability of forests to store Carbon.
• Some progress in monitising these ES
• However, benefits from CDM and REDD have proved elusive.
Current Scenario
6
What should we be doing?
“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
Aldo Leopold: A Sand County Almanac
Think Different!
4. Forests are part of a varied landscape• Acknowledge and factor in the impact of Agricultural &
Cultural landscapes.
• Legislation to protect forests is not enough
• Planting of seedlings is not enough
• To protect forests and the diversity within, we need to empathise with real world needs - of local communities and beyond
Moving ahead
5. Get Data
• The Himalaya has been referred to as a ‘white spot’ in IPCC reports due to the lack of data.
• Where data exists, it is often not reliable
• Climate change models often use data from analogous forests.
• To get CDM, REDD credits or PES
• In climate change negotiations and to prove their importance
Build institutional capacity to get data
Moving ahead
6. Not seeing the Forest for the Trees
• Ecosystem structure and function, and ecosystem services matter more than individual trees.
• Degradation may not be just at the canopy level:
– Litter removal impacts ecosystem functioning
– Trophic degradation: loss of fauna, invasive species
Moving ahead
7. ..and ‘Think Like a Forest’
• Work with nature rather than opposing nature. Forests are not agricultural lands.
– Do we always need nursery grown seedlings? Natural regeneration or direct seeding often works better and cheaper.
– If Jhum is to be replaced, are terraced fields the only alternative? Analog forestry where ecosystem functions are mimicked but crop plants are grown could be promoted
Moving ahead
Tree-root bridges of Meghalaya
8. Reduce pressure on forests
• Alternatives to biomass products
• Clean energy from HEPs
Moving ahead
These would help reduce black carbon, improve health indicators and reduce women's drudgery.
9. Modernise Community Forests
• Attention largely to be forest protection.
• Monitoring Biodiversity or Carbon in ways that can be valorised; REDD benefits should flow to local communities; Enhanced NTFP management
• Prevent migration from remote areas
Moving ahead
10. Increase Awareness
• Collate information into policy papers and easy to comprehend forms. Move beyond technical and academic reports.
• Engage with Multiple Stakeholders
• Forests of Himalaya are unique and of international importance.
Moving ahead
Thank you