Solutions

Working to Reduce Deforestation

   

   Completely eradicating deforestation is almost impossible in a short period of time. Most of the landscape has to be reshaped and changed as the population starts growing and this can be done through sustainable forestry management, reforestation efforts  and maintaining our protected areas. With our current rate of deforestation, achieving zero percent of deforestation might be impossible. But we need to protect our remaining forests as it plays a huge role in our lives.  For instance, in Paraguay deforestation rates were reduced as much as 85% just by implementing the 2004 Zero Deforestation law (WWF,2014) 

It is our responsibility to remind ourselves and others out there that this deforestation has to end now.

We need to do something before it gets too late because if we lose our forests we will have a tough time getting it back in the exact form. 

   Everyone can play a role however, groups with power like the government has the capability to implement certain rules which can lead to  active measure taken which can result in  quicker or immediate reduction in deforestation. Here are a few of them: 

Reforestation Efforts 

    To reduce the effects of deforestation, more trees need to be planted in places where they were chopped down. Loggers should also make it a point to replant a tree for every tree that they chop off. In this way we can at least have our forests replaced when they are taken away. Besides that, urban reforestation is a new way for us to still be able to protect our nature. This is reforestation in urban areas which will act as a great encouragement to the public to start from home and move to saving the forests.

Source:http://wwf.panda.org/

Increasing Protected Areas

      Protected areas are usually reserves that prevent irresponsible people from reaching to these valuable resources. Throughout the time, we have an increase in protected areas however, the richness of biodiversity keeps decreasing.(Billo, 2014). So what we can do is still keep increasing protected areas and improving the areas that should be protected like places with rich biodiversity and improving the rules and regulations. This means making stricter laws on who can enter into these protected areas, hiring more forest rangers and these protected areas can be further divided into different categories from one to six(refer figure below) indicating which category would be the best to ensure that the forests are completely protected and unharmed. 

Source:http://sspp.proquest.com/

Political Influence

   The government definitely plays an important role in trying to curb deforestation. Firstly, the government should try their best to implement stricter rules when it comes to illegal deforestation. These groups that operate through illegal logging feels like they will not face any serious punishments. By imposing heavy fines and prison time, this might scare them into not trying to be involved in this activity. Besides that, the government could increase more money towards the local and active conservation groups so that these groups can use their resources to overcome this problem.