Trees are directly responsible for our survival, by providing us food, shelter, and most importantly the oxygen we breathe in. But unfortunately, there’s a serious growth in the trend of deforestation all around the world. In simple terms, Deforestation can be explained as “permanent removal of standing forests” according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Deforestation is practiced all around the world to make the forest land available for other purposes such as expanding the living area. This process may provide us with some resources, but in the bigger picture, it can simply lead do devastating situations.
Some Deforestation Facts:
Deforestation has already made quite an influence on our planet. Here’s a look at some of the deforestation facts:
➢ Approximately 50% of the tropical forests in the world have already been cleared.
➢ Currently, forests comprise 30% of the overall land mass of earth.
➢ Each and every minute, forest land worth of approximately 36 football fields is getting cleared.
➢ Deforestation is one of the major contributing factors to the Carbon Monoxide emissions.
Effects of Deforestation:
Deforestation can cause serious damages to the environment, leading to several natural disasters. Here’s a brief look at the some of the major effects of Deforestation:
➢ Detriment of Habitat:
When the deforestation happens, the animal and plant species lose their habitat, which may cause a great loss to them. This phenomenon causes a disturbance in the local ecosystem, resulting in a complete chaos of the environment that surrounds the deforested region.
➢ Rise in Greenhouse gas levels:
Lack of forests and trees, in general, can simply cause a rapid increase in the levels of greenhouse gases that gets released into the local atmosphere. The consequences of higher greenhouse gases can be really severe for the future.
➢ Flooding and Soil Erosion:
Trees are essential in retaining topsoil and water on the forest lands. Without trees, the soil gets erode and eventually washed away. This situation can lead to flooding, especially in the coastal areas.
Deforestation in Haiti:
It is estimated that more than 15,000 acres of topsoil are being washed away every year, which in turn causes a decrease in the productivity of the land. Haiti has been witnessing severe environmental problems which may be a result of the deforestation. Without a change in the situation, there’s a great chance of experiencing more natural disasters in the coming years. Usually, the effects of a hurricane gets intensified due to the deforested lands.
We’re looking to help Haiti to fight the effects of deforestation by planting as many trees as possible. We’ve got a highly planned out project to reverse the deforestation. We’re aiming to diversify this project by not only planting formal trees, but also some of the edible ones such as coconuts and mangoes as well. By reforestation, the situation can slowly be changed and that may help avoiding any potential future natural disasters that are caused due to deforestation.