Abstract
Deforestation causes environmental degradation. Awareness of the people might have influence on reduction of deforestation. The main purposes of the study were to determine the farmers’ awareness regarding deforestation and to explore relationship between the selected characteristics of the farmers and their awareness. The study was conducted to only one village namely Raingamari (The project village of Khulna University) of Jalma union under Batiaghata upazila of Khulna district. Data were collected from 53 family heads of the village on their 10 selected characteristics such as age, educational qualification, farming experience, family size, farm size, family income, organizational participation, cosmopoliteness, extension media contact, training exposure. Data were also collected on farmers’ awareness regarding deforestation. Data were collected from the respondents during April to July 2017 through personal interview using a pretested interview schedule. Most of the respondents were highly aware of deforestation. The respondents showed highest level of awareness regarding “deforestation causes greenhouse effect which consequently increase the average temperature of the earth” while they were less aware regarding “deforestation threatens the livelihoods and cultural integrity of people that depend on forest”. Among the 10 selected characteristics of the respondents, educational qualification, organizational participation, extension media contact showed positive significant relationships with their awareness regarding deforestation while only the annual income had the negative significant relationship with their awareness regarding deforestation.
 Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.6(2): 193-202, August 2019
Highlights
Forest provides cover to the earth’s land surface and many environmental benefits including a major role in the hydrologic cycle, soil conservation, and prevention of climate change and preservation of biodiversity (Ekhuemelo and Akeh, 2015)
Deforestation threatens the livelihoods and cultural integrity of people that depend on forest
Most of the respondents are highly aware of deforestation
Summary
Forest provides cover to the earth’s land surface and many environmental benefits including a major role in the hydrologic cycle, soil conservation, and prevention of climate change and preservation of biodiversity (Ekhuemelo and Akeh, 2015). Deforestation is defined as clearing of any area of its natural vegetation cover, which normally leads to decrease in plants population resulting in loss of plant biodiversity (Aliyu et al, 2014). It is defined as the indiscriminate felling of trees without their replacement (Mustapha et al, 2012). Other scientists and environmental groups have referred forest shrinkage to economic growth, national policies, and the harvesting of trees for firewood (Salam and Noguchi, 1998). Empirical support for these hypotheses is fundamentally applicable for all forest types of Bangladesh. Deforestation in Bangladesh is obviously a complex issue and, scanty scientific studies have been carried out to identify its deep causes (Safa, 2004)
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