Forest Conservation - The one and only way to conserve water

An article on the occasion of World Forestry Day (21^st March) and World Water Day (22^nd March), by Dipak Sharmah, Retd IFS

Karnataka is blessed with some of the most magnificent forest ecosystems harboring diverse flora and fauna. In addition to the major types of tropical forest such as evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous, dry deciduous and thorn forests, a number of special forest types are met with in the state. These include: Shola forest with surrounding grasslands, Mangrove, Myristica swamp forest, forests of kamara (Hardwickia binata), dhupa (Boswellia serrata) and jalari (Shorea talura), Devarakadus of Kodagu district, Hadlus of Mysuru and Kodagu districts, Kans of Soraba, Sagar and Banavasi taluks, etc. The diversity of species within each vegetation type is also enormous. The forest diversity is so wide and varied that in a number of districts in the malnad region, all types of forest, starting from wet evergreen to thorn forest, are encountered within a crow-fly distance of less than 100 km. The forests of the eastern plains, though these are limited in coverage, exhibit high degree of plant diversity including varieties of medicinal plants. The Western Ghats, of which Karnataka has the largest share, is one of the mega biodiversity hotspots of the world. All the perennial rivers, which form the lifeline in the state, originate from the pristine forests of the Western Ghats. Karnataka’s forests are very rich in wildlife, harboring about 25% of the elephant population and about 18% of tiger population of India. About 25% of the state’s forests comprising five national parks, thirty wildlife sanctuaries and sixteen conservation/community reserves have been earmarked exclusively for conservation of wildlife and biodiversity.

Recorded forest area of Karnataka is about 43,383 km² constituting 22.62% of its geographical area (1,91,791 km²). The extent of notified forest area is 33,358 km². The total extent of natural forest (including grassland and scrub forest) is about 31,000 square kilometers. Broad distribution of the major forest types as indicated below:

Distribution of natural forests in Karnataka

[Source: Land use-Land classification Report (2006) of KSRSAC, Bengaluru]

[Note: The above figure of 31,050 km² of natural forest also includes about 4,500 km² of forest occurring in non-forest land, such as thickly wooded revenue land, revenue Paisary, Betta, Bane, Kumki, etc. However, it does not include about 4,500 km² of plantations raised by the Karnataka Forest Department within the recorded forest area; these plantations have been delineated separately.]

The evergreen, semi-evergreen and moist-deciduous forests are located in the malnad districts of Belagavi, Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Chickkamagaluru, Udupi, Dakshin Kannada, Hassan, Mysuru, Kodagu and Chamarajanagar. The dry deciduous and scrub forests, mostly in degraded condition, are distributed all over the state, including the eastern plains and south interior Karnataka. One significant aspect regarding the forests of Karnataka is that most of these are concentrated in the Western Ghats region where almost 45% of the geographical area is covered with forest, whereas it is about 12% in the interior Karnataka region and about 8% in the eastern plains. The abysmally low distribution of forest in about two-thirds of the state is a matter of concern, as vast expanses of open agricultural lands without adequate tree cover in the vicinity do not augur well for the long-term health of the agricultural lands.

Organized management of the forest areas of the present day Karnataka started during the 1860s. These areas were under different administrations and were integrated in 1956, after the reorganization of the states. The integrated areas comprised the old Mysore state, the former state of Coorg, portions of the former Bombay and Madras Presidencies, and some areas of the former Hyderabad state. As major portion of the re-organized state was from the old Mysore state, it was then named as Mysore state and was rechristened as Karnataka in 1973. Although the integrating areas of the newly formed state were under different administrations, they were directly or indirectly ruled by the British for a considerable length of time till India became independent. As a result, there were many commonalities in matters of forest policy, law and management practices in these regions with local and minor variations. These were harmonized and consolidated in the re-organized state with the formulation of Karnataka Forest Act (1963), Karnataka Forest Rules (1969), Karnataka Forest Manual (1975), Karnataka Forest Code (1976) and Karnataka Forest Account Code (1976).

The forests of Karnataka, like the forests of the rest of India, had passed through a rough phase of heavy exploitation during the colonial era and the post-Independent period thereafter. This phase of heavy exploitation, which continued up to the 1980s, is exemplified by large-scale felling of trees or clearing of forest for catering to War supplies, post-War reconstruction, running of locomotives and steel plants with firewood as energy-source, supply of railway sleepers, supply of wooden poles for electric transmission, extraction of plywood and matchwood, formation of highways and railway lines, construction of dams and reservoirs, rehabilitation of project-displaced people, development projects, Grow More Food campaign, etc. This period also saw an unprecedented increase in the demand for timber and firewood which prompted clearing of more forest areas and replenishing the cleared areas with quick-growing species to keep pace with the increasing demand.

In the aftermath of large-scale, decades-long forest-exploitation, and in order to heal the scars of deforestation, Karnataka Forest Department, since the mid-1970s, had initiated a number of steps aimed at overall forest conservation. A very bold initiative was taken by the then Forest Minister of the state Shri K. H. Patil, who issued directives in 1974 to do away with the practice of issuing pre-paid licenses for bringing firewood from forest in bullock-carts. This was perhaps one of the most important decisions taken for forest conservation in Karnataka, as continuous degradation of large extents of forests of the state was halted and, within a span of six-seven years, these forests showed signs of recovery through natural regeneration. An important amendment was made on 16-09-1974 in the Karnataka Forest Act, through which the power of the Government to de-reserve a forest by a notification was modified and it was stipulated that ‘no such notification shall be issued unless a resolution to that effect has been passed by both Houses of the State Legislature.’ This amendment was very significant in that it slowed down the process of de-reservation of forest areas and brought down the number of such cases. The Act was further amended in 1978 categorically stipulating that regularization of encroachment taking place after 27-04-1978 must have the approval of the State Legislature. These amendments can be said to be precursor to the Forest (Conservation) Act which was enacted by the Government of India in 1980 in order to regulate diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes. During 1976, a new Act, namely, the Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act was enacted in order to preserve trees by regulating their felling in private lands, particularly in the malnad region.

The period from 1980 to 1990 was very significant from the point of forest conservation in Karnataka. This period heralded a major change in the forest management practices with the Forest department shifting its focus from production forestry to conservation forestry. Although this change was triggered partly by the overall change in the national forestry scenario which had highlighted the need for ecological security, preservation of natural forest and biodiversity conservation, sincere attempts were made at the state level towards protection of forests. The department had done away with the system of standing sale of forest coupes in the early 1980s. Clear-felling of natural forest for regeneration was stopped and felling of natural green trees was restricted in 1983. Felling in the evergreen forests was discontinued in 1987 and two years later, the state government stopped all concessions to wood-based industries and they were required to obtain their requirements in open auction. In 1990, felling of all naturally growing green trees was banned. These changes initiated by the state were in conformity with the National Forest Policy, 1988 which advocated a ‘conservation oriented forest management’ approach. Karnataka’s commitment towards conservation oriented forest management is also reflected in the Karnataka Forest Policy, notified on 11-06-2013 giving detailed guidelines for forest conservation and development in the state.

Karnataka’s focused approach towards forest conservation is also evident from the fact that large extents of natural forest have been brought under the protected area (PA) network comprising national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and conservation reserves. During the last decade, a number of new wildlife sanctuaries were notified and a number of existing national parks and wildlife sanctuaries were expanded by including adjacent forest areas. Protected areas now cover more than 25% of the state’s forests, and their number is increasing every year. Given the highly degraded condition of the dry deciduous forests, more and more dry deciduous and scrub forests have been declared as wildlife sanctuaries, such as Chincholi, Jogimatti, Rangayyanadurga, Yadahalli, Gudekote, Ramadevara Betta, Thimlapura, etc. Forest areas such as Bukkapatna, Kappatagudda and Kammasandra are also being notified as wildlife sanctuaries. The PAs receive the best possible attention in terms of forest protection; these are inviolate areas, and nothing, not even grass, can be removed from such areas.

While the protected areas have been expanded, the focus of management of the remaining reserved forests (not included in the PA network) has also been reoriented, primary focus being on conservation. Large extents of evergreen, semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests are already included in the PA network. The remaining evergreen and semi-evergreen forests are invariably managed for biodiversity conservation with nil or minimum intervention. The level of working in the remaining moist deciduous forests has also been progressively brought down, being limited to removal of dead and fallen material from only a few pockets. Fire protection, soil and moisture conservation, assisted natural regeneration, prevention of smuggling and poaching, etc. have been given high priority in these areas. The Forest department also exercises utmost caution while regulating felling of trees in private lands in the eco-sensitive areas of the state. For similar reasons, mining has been done away with in the Western Ghats region.

Even though the Forest department since the early 1990s has virtually stopped felling of trees in the natural forests, rejuvenation of the forests has been slow and many areas are under various stages of degradation. As already mentioned, the dry deciduous forests are in highly degraded state and the scrub forests continue to remain impoverished. The department has been relentlessly engaged in large-scale tree planting to stop or slow down forest degradation and to improve forest quality. However, such efforts have met with limited success. Although about 60,000-70,000 hectares of plantations are raised every year, the increment in forest cover as assessed by the interpretation of satellite imageries is very marginal. The forests and plantations continue to be under stress due to external biotic factors. Even plantations protected by fencing are safe only for a few years. By and large, the department has not been able to contain the external factors responsible for forest degradation. It is apprehended that until and unless the primary causes of forest degradation are comprehensively addressed, any initiative at improvement of forest quality will not succeed.

One of the most important factors responsible for degradation of forests is excessive withdrawal (mostly unrecorded) of biomass in the form of firewood and small timber. Another important factor is uncontrolled grazing by very large numbers of cattle. Other factors like fire, soil erosion, etc. are subsidiary to these two primary factors and will be under check once the primary factors are brought under control. The only way to reduce excessive removal of biomass from forest is to create abundant biomass outside the forest. This is possible only through very intensive and aggressive farm forestry / agro-forestry. The notion that fuel wood should come from forest must go. Fuel wood required for cooking or heating must also be grown along with food crops. Farm forestry not only reduces the pressure on forests but also helps in increasing the tree cover. Besides, it provides economic security and improves income levels of the farmers. The Forest department has been carrying out a number of programs to encourage people to plant trees in their farmland and other areas outside the regular forest. These include Krishi Aranya Prothsaha Yojane (KAPY), Raising of Seedlings for Public Distribution (RSPD), etc. KAPY provides very attractive financial incentive for growing trees in farmlands. As regards stopping or regulating grazing in forest areas by large numbers of unproductive cattle, it is necessary to discourage rearing of unproductive cattle by encouraging cattle improvement, stall feeding and fodder improvement. Farmers owning cattle can achieve these objectives by adopting appropriate agro-forestry practices and integrating these with sound animal-husbandry practices.

Large-scale tree planting outside the natural forest areas is also necessary as the natural forests have a much larger national / global function of regulating stream flow and moderating climate. Forests and trees play vital role in maintaining a stable environment conducive to sustained agricultural development. Forests are the foster mother of agriculture and unless the forest ecosystem is maintained in a protective and productive state, the future of agriculture itself is at stake. Forests protect and enrich the soil mantle by reducing soil erosion and nutrient loss, and by facilitating nutrient recycling and microbiological activities. They also protect hydrological systems and regulate stream flow, thereby augmenting water availability so vital for agricultural production. Forests also serve as a unique storehouse of plant and animal genetic resources and contribute significantly to the biological diversity which in turn serves as insurance against food crises and as an assurance for health care. The overall impact of the forest eco-system on climate, hydrology, agriculture, health, etc. is so overwhelming that it is prudent to manage the natural forests in such a way that the national / global functions are not compromised or jeopardized.

Although raising plantation is an important activity of the Forest department, it has been increasingly realized that forest protection is the most cardinal duty of the department. Very good plantations have been found to have degraded or denuded for want of adequate protection. On the other hand, there are many examples where degraded forests have rejuvenated solely due to rigid protection given over a long time. One of the best and the easiest ways to develop a degraded forest is to ensure and enforce rigid protection from the various pressures working on it. Many of our forests, especially the ones near habitations, have been degraded due to intense biotic pressures caused by human need and human greed. It is therefore necessary to ascertain the pressures responsible for such degradation and take steps to withdraw or reduce these to reasonable limits. Withdrawal or reduction of these pressures itself is a big step towards restoring the forest to its original glory. Rigid protection from fire, illicit removals and excessive grazing will enable a degraded forest patch to bounce back to life.

In view of what has been narrated above, the Forest department has adopted a three-pronged approach as overall strategy for management of the natural forests: (a) to give maximum protection to the existing forests; (b) to take up afforeststion in the highly degraded forest areas which are not capable of regenerating on their own; and (c) to develop abundant biomass resources outside the regular forest.

In the days and years to come, the most important assets to be managed for the welfare of mankind are going to be forests and water. There is an inseparable and intrinsic relationship of mutual inter-dependence between these two natural assets. Significantly, the ‘world forestry day’ and the ‘world water day’, which symbolize the importance of these two resources across nations, are observed on two consecutive days, namely, 21^st and 22^nd of March. Among all natural eco-systems, forest is the most efficient in harnessing water (precipitation) and releasing it gradually through regulated stream flow. Healthy forests play a very critical and important role in protecting and sustaining water resources. This role is all the more important in the peninsular India where the basic source of water is rainwater. The entire river system of Karnataka depends upon the forests of the Western Ghats which arrest, regulate and release rainwater throughout the year. Forests absorb rainfall, refill groundwater aquifers, retard, filter and cleanse surface water runoff, mitigate erosion, reduce flooding and maintain stability and vitality of watersheds.

While the forests of the Western Ghats primarily provide for protection and sustenance of the state’s river system, there is need to expand and protect forest and tree cover throughout the state in view of the critical role played by forest and tree cover in conserving rainwater. Although the tree canopy traps rainwater and lets it down to the forest floor, efficient and effective absorption of the precipitation into the ground is possible only when the forest floor is rich with humus, leaf-litter and varieties of ground flora including weeds, grasses, ferns, seedlings, saplings, etc. The factors which adversely affect the health of the forest floor are fire and excessive grazing by domestic cattle. A forest which has been rigidly protected from fire and grazing by domestic cattle is bound to have an ideal forest floor facilitating maximum absorption of rainwater into the ground and thereby enriching the groundwater resources.

It is in the above background that the Forest department’s focus on forest management has been evolving over the years to be more and more conservation oriented. It has been increasingly realized that the existing natural forests which are already under tremendous biotic pressure can not be expected to provide for all the biomass needs of the people as it happened for centuries in the past. This is due to the fact that during the last few decades population has increased manifold whereas forest cover has shrunk considerably. Keeping the natural forests under such continued stress will be suicidal, as their efficiency and effectiveness in protecting and sustaining water resources will be seriously jeopardized. The signs of increasing stress on our forests are too obvious to be missed: depleting ground water level, recurring drought, frequent flash floods, repeated forest fires – these are all portents or manifestations of the stark ground reality that the existing forest or tree cover is not capable enough to sustainably harness the rainwater. Therefore, there is an urgent need to increase the forest and tree cover both in quality and in extent. This is possible only when additional forest resources are developed outside the natural forests. Such forest resources, besides relieving the pressure on the natural forests, will provide people with their biomass needs, help in improving rural economy and usher in all-round ecological development. Once the natural forests are relieved from the relentless pressure from biotic interferences, most of these will show signs of rejuvenation by way of natural regeneration through seeds or from existing root system. Forest department will then be in a better position to conserve and develop these forests by providing rigid protection from fire, grazing and pilferages and by carrying out enrichment planting wherever necessary. This will help in the development of what is called a normal or ideal forest. Such normal or ideal forest eco-system is the only guarantee for protection and development of our water resources.