A A 2 Geography : Deforestation in India. Case Study :What 2 Geography : Deforestation in India. Case Study :What are the causes and consequences in the Andaman Islandsare the causes and consequences in the Andaman Islands ? ?

Chris Dunstan Cynffig Comprehensive SchoolChris Dunstan Cynffig Comprehensive School

A.What has caused the deforestation in the A.What has caused the deforestation in the Andaman islands?Andaman islands?

11. Historical reasons. Historical reasons

With India gaining Independence from the With India gaining Independence from the British in 1947 there was a colonisation British in 1947 there was a colonisation scheme for the islands with thousands of scheme for the islands with thousands of people brought from mainland India, people brought from mainland India, increasing demand on resources.increasing demand on resources.

Where are the Andaman islands?Where are the Andaman islands?

The The abundant forests and the timberabundant forests and the timber within it within it became the source for the generation of both became the source for the generation of both income and employment.income and employment.

Today, the Today, the timber based industrytimber based industry in the in the Andamans comprises of two government saw Andamans comprises of two government saw mills, some small private saw mills and furniture mills, some small private saw mills and furniture making units and three private plywood units making units and three private plywood units

Other causes of deforestationOther causes of deforestation 2. 2. Strategic location of the islands.Strategic location of the islands. The island chain is The island chain is

located in the Bay of Bengal, close to countries in South East Asia located in the Bay of Bengal, close to countries in South East Asia and north of an important commercial shipping lane. One and north of an important commercial shipping lane. One strategy of the Government of India is to strengthen its claim strategy of the Government of India is to strengthen its claim over the islands has been to encourage more and more over the islands has been to encourage more and more mainlanders to settle in the islands. mainlanders to settle in the islands.

3. 3. A lack of respectA lack of respect or acknowledgement of the life and culture or acknowledgement of the life and culture of the ONGE tribe who are the original inhabitants.of the ONGE tribe who are the original inhabitants.

44. . Economic policiesEconomic policies; such as the subsidies offered to the ; such as the subsidies offered to the timber based industry. timber based industry.

5. 5. Industrial and consumer demandIndustrial and consumer demand; such as the increasing ; such as the increasing demand for plywood from the markets of mainland Indiademand for plywood from the markets of mainland India. .

B. What have been the consequences of B. What have been the consequences of the deforestation?the deforestation?

The people who have suffered The people who have suffered the most in these islands are the most in these islands are the the indigenous communitiesindigenous communities for whom the forests are for whom the forests are home.home.

Soil erosionSoil erosion has increased due has increased due to increased runoff and less to increased runoff and less interceptioninterception

Higher water levelsHigher water levels in local in local streamsstreams

Increase in Increase in landslideslandslides

Short term gain, but long tem Short term gain, but long tem economic and environmental economic and environmental lossloss

Impact on the Onge tribeImpact on the Onge tribe The Onge tribe have been driven The Onge tribe have been driven

away from what was their homes away from what was their homes and forced to move deeper into and forced to move deeper into the forest.the forest.

With poaching of their food With poaching of their food sources like the wild pig, survival is sources like the wild pig, survival is becoming difficult for them.becoming difficult for them.

Roads that are bull dozed in the Roads that are bull dozed in the forest to carry out the logging forest to carry out the logging operations give the settlers greater operations give the settlers greater and easier access to areas that and easier access to areas that were inaccessible.were inaccessible.

This has facilitated greater This has facilitated greater poaching, but also made it much poaching, but also made it much easier for the settlers to move easier for the settlers to move further into the forest to establish further into the forest to establish settlements settlements

C. Sustainable solutions to deforestationC. Sustainable solutions to deforestation 1.The government to discourage the migration of 1.The government to discourage the migration of

peoplepeople into the islands from mainland India. into the islands from mainland India.

2. Removal of subsidies2. Removal of subsidies that make the plywood industry that make the plywood industry a viable and profitable venture and create alternate a viable and profitable venture and create alternate sources of wealth and employment. sources of wealth and employment.

This can include encouraging of fisheries and This can include encouraging of fisheries and redeployment of people inside the forest department for redeployment of people inside the forest department for conservation and wildlife protection activities.conservation and wildlife protection activities.

3. Education and awareness programmes3. Education and awareness programmes in the in the islands about the fragility and importance of the islands islands about the fragility and importance of the islands and the real cost of the forest destruction and to provide and the real cost of the forest destruction and to provide positive incentives to encourage conservation.positive incentives to encourage conservation.

4. Improving the rights of the tribals4. Improving the rights of the tribals and making and making settlers aware of their sustainable lifestyles. This is settlers aware of their sustainable lifestyles. This is important because the indigenous tribes are very small important because the indigenous tribes are very small and the dominant population in the islands is settlers from and the dominant population in the islands is settlers from mainland. mainland.

5. The 5. The Green India Green India MissionMission aims to aims to increase India’s forest increase India’s forest cover from the cover from the current 22 percent to current 22 percent to 33 percent.33 percent.

With thanks to the follow people for the use of the images

www.flickr.com

www.cia.gov

www.tourism.andaman.nic.in

www.commons.wikimedia.org