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Deforestation is a global phenomenon and although recent studies have shown that the occurrence is slowing down in some parts of the world, the rate at which forests are disappearing globally is still alarming and is a cause for concern.

According World Wildlife Fund (WWF) which is the world`s leading conservation organization, between 1990 and 2015 alone, the world lost more than 129 million hectares of forests, an area which is equivalent to South Africa in size.

A report presented at the World Forestry Congress in Durban, by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations showed that, ‘Africa and South America had the highest net annual loss of forests from 2010 to 2015, with 2.8 and 2 million hectares respectively.’

Esaja.com has established that the number one underlying cause responsible for deforestation across Africa and the rest of the world is human activity. Wood is generally still used as fuel and a source of energy in many countries either in small quantities or in large-scale industrial processes.

More forests continue to vanish to make way for agricultural plantations, human settlements and other commercial purposes.  Although it may seem the forests are being cleared for a good cause, people need to know and assess the impact and consequences of these actions.

Effects of deforestation

  • If measures are not taken to curb deforestation, the whole world would miss out on its fight against climate change and global warming as forests play a huge role in mitigating climate change by acting as a carbon sink without which carbon dioxide would accelerate climate change, which would also contribute to global warming.
  • The continued destruction of forest will also destroy the animal kingdom. Forests act as habitats for many animals without which the decline of biodiversity is noticeable. The animal kingdom is crucial to modern societies as it contributes to areas such as the economy through tourism.
  • The cutting down of trees also disrupts the water cycle patterns. Trees are a key component in water cycles and their presents ensure that the world receives rain regularly and during the right time. In this sense deforestation may unlock a chain of misfortunes for the human race such as droughts and famines.
  • Loss of forests cover through deforestation contributes to the increase of soil erosion which is again a negative for humanity. Soil erosion may cause the siltation of fresh water reserves which would again cause problems in the near future.
  • Humanity is greatly affected in the end. Deforestation can cause an increase of green house emissions running free in the atmosphere which can affect humanity health wise. Humans also stand to suffer from effects such as droughts and famine.

Unless stern measures are taken to curb deforestation, it will come back to haunt humanity. People can take advantage of the rainy seasons to plant more trees to replace the ones which have been cut down.

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