Karnataka - Mysore   

Report suggests ways to halt declining forest cover

Mysore: Forests in the districts of Uttara Kannada, Chikmagalur and Shimoga will show the effects of climate change by 2030. This is what the final report that was submitted to the State Government by the Bangalore Climate Change Initiative-Karnataka (BCCI-K) inMay,has revealed. Overall, as much as 38 per cent of the forest areas will be impacted.

The report said that there is 3.62 million hectares of forest area in Karnataka and there has been a marginal declined from 2001 to 2007. Based on a range of vegetation modelling studies in 2007, it has been concluded that one-third of the biodiversity would be under threat of extinction. A study in 2006 had revealed that a major portion of the forest grids are likely to experience shift in forest types due to climate change. This assumes significance as more than 50 per cent of the State's population depends on agriculture and over 80 per cent of the farmlands are rain-fed.

As per a Forest Survey of India report there was 40,236 sq. km forests in Karnataka in 2001and the total area came down marginally to 39,590 sq. km, in 2003. In 2007, the figure was down to 39,366 sq. km.The Government of India has formulated a National Greening Mission (Greening India Mission) in the context of the climate change adaptation and mitigation to sustain the ecosystem services of forests.

Forests in Karnataka account for 19 per cent of the total geographical area. The State is home to a bulk of the biodiversity rich Western Ghats. This makes the region more vulnerable to climate change as also increased risk of fire and pest attacks, the report said.

How to tackle it

The BCCI-K has suggested a programme to address climate change under the State climate change action plan. It has suggested that research activities could be taken up by the Karnataka Forest Department and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) to study the carbon mitigation projects and study impact and vulnerability modelling.

The KFD, the IISc., the Institute of Social and Economic Change (ISEC) and the Forestry Colleges at Sirsi and Ponnampet could take up works related to adaptation projects. Long-term monitoring could be taken up by the research wing of theses institutions. It suggested that monitoring of carbon stocks, biodiversity, growth rates and socio-economic aspects should be handled by the research wing.

The BCCI-K proposed to set up a special purpose vehicle ‘totally different in composition and culture' for effective implementation of the GIM.

The territorial wing of the KFD would work in the notified areas and those outside the notified areas could be handled by a separate directorate of social forestry. They would include specialists such as sociologists, economists, extension and training experts.

The BCCI-K also laid emphasis on giving an effective role to the village forest committees, eco-development committees and non-governmental organisations.

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