Forest Resource Management for Global Warming and Climate Change Mitigation in India

Abstract

The major environmental problem the world economy as a whole has been facing is the problem of global warming and climate change. The gases that are most active at trapping this radiation heat energy are known as greenhouse gases or radioactive gases are carbon dioxide, water vapour, ozone, nitrous oxide, black carbon and halocarbon contributing to the global warming. In the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide is prominent (65%) in contributing to global warming, which is followed by methane (31%) and nitrous oxide (4%) respectively. The emissions of GHGs are prominently contributed by the energy sector (61%), which is followed by industrial activities, agricultural etc. respectively. The statistical information reveals that developed countries have accumulated emissions of carbon dioxide prominently (75%) through energy consumption and the contribution of developing countries stands at 25%. The country wise analysis of carbon dioxide emission shows that the USA was in leading position (29%), which is followed by the countries like Germany (7%), China (8%), Japan (4%), India (2.4%) etc. so far as per capita accumulation of carbon dioxide is concerned. There is a great change in climate due to global warming because of green house gases like carbon dioxide emitted by the traditional sources of the energy. High GHG emissions are produced by energy sector out of total GHG emissions. Energy sector produces 58% GHG emissions in India. To control this serious problem there is great need for the forests resource management to facilitate decrease in global warming and mitigation of climate change. Forests play very significant role in the control of green house gases emissions, and thereby global warming and climate change, because trees have a quality of absorption of carbon dioxide and releasing of oxygen. Hence protection, plantation, preservation of trees through management of the forests is required and urgently needed. For environmental balance the area covered by the forests should be at least 33% of the total area. But except some countries, many countries could not increase their forest area at least up to 33 % also. The noteworthy countries in 2010 whose forest coverage was less than 33% are Australia : 19%, China : 22%, India: 23%, Pakistan : 2%, South Africa 5%, Sri Lanka 30%, U. K. 12%, U.S.A. 33%, Germany 32%, France 29%. Japan 68%. It is therefore the present study intends to assess forest management in India and suggests a suitable strategy for the forest resource management, which will help in controlling the emissions of the green house gas like carbon dioxide and in the control of global warming and climate change from the side of India.