Deforestation-The Present and Future Perspectives

What is Deforestation?

Deforestation involves the conversion of forested regions to non-forest land for the use of pastures for livestock, logging companies, industrial gain, urban use, or simply to become a wasteland. Starting around the mid-1800s, the destruction of forests on a worldwide basis experienced a significant increase. Acid rain attacked the forests in Europe and considerable stretches of land in Siberia were harvested after the fall of the Soviet Union. In recent years, we learn that Afghanistan no longer possesses more than 70% of its forests scattered about the country.

Causes of Deforestation:

1. Agricultural Activities: As earlier mentioned in the overview, agricultural activities are one of the major factors affecting deforestation. Due to overgrowing demand for food products, the huge amount of trees are fell down to grow crops and for cattle grazing.

2. Logging: Apart from this, wood based industries like paper, matchsticks, furniture etc also need a substantial amount of wood supply. Wood is used as fuel both directly and indirectly, therefore, trees are chopped for supplies. Firewood and charcoal are examples of wood being used as fuel. Some of these industries thrive on illegal wood cutting and felling of trees.

3. Urbanization: Further on order to gain access to these forests, the construction of roads are undertaken; here again trees are chopped to create roads. Overpopulation too directly affects forest covers, as with the expansion of cities more land is needed to establish housing and settlements. Therefore, forest land is reclaimed.

4. Desertification of land: Some of the other factors that lead to deforestation are also part natural and part anthropogenic like Desertification of land. It occurs due to land abuse making it unfit for the growth of trees. Many industries in petrochemicals release their waste into rivers which result in soil erosion and make it unfit to grow plants and trees.

5. Mining: Oil and coal mining require the considerable amount of forest land. Apart from this, roads and highways have to be built to make way for trucks and other equipment. The waste that comes out from mining pollutes the environment and affects the nearby species.

6. Forest Fires: Another example would be forest blazes; Hundreds of trees are lost each year due to forest fires in various portions of the world. This happens due to extreme warm summers and milder winters. Fires, whether caused by man or nature results in huge loss of forest cover.

Effects of Deforestation:

1. Climate Imbalance: Deforestation also affects the climate in more than one ways. Trees release water vapor into the air, which is compromised on with the lack of trees. Trees also provide the required shade that keeps the soil moist. This leads to the imbalance in the atmospheric temperature further making conditions for the ecology difficult. Flora and fauna across the world are accustomed to their habitat. This haphazard clearance of forests has forced several of these animals to shift from their native environment. Due to this several species are finding it difficult to survive or adapt to new habitats.

2. Increase in Global Warming: Trees play a major role in controlling global warming. The trees utilize the greenhouse gasses, restoring the balance in the atmosphere. With constant deforestation the ratio of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere has increased, adding to our global warming woes.

3. Soil Erosion: Also due to the shade of trees the soil remains moist. With the clearance of tree cover, the soil is directly exposed to the sun, making it dry.

4. Floods: When it rains, trees absorb and store a large amount of water with the help of their roots. When they are cut down, the flow of water is disrupted and leads to floods in some areas and droughts in other.

5. Wildlife Extinction: Due to massive felling down of trees, various species of animals are lost. They lose their habitat and forced to move to new location. Some of them are even pushed to extinction. Our world has lost so many species of plants and animals in the last couple of decades.

International Scenario:

However, no other worldwide land source has been hit as hard as the tropical rainforests, where the rate of destruction is unimaginable. Nearly half of the mature tropical forests in the world (ranging between 750 and 800 million hectares of the original 1.5 to 1.6 billion hectares that previously decorated the planet) have gone. As humans are constantly in search for more ways to accommodate a rapidly growing population, they become the largest cause of deforestation.

Trees are cut and burned down for a number of reasons. Forests are logged to supply timber for wood and paper products, and to clear land for crops, cattle, and housing. Other causes of deforestation include mining and oil exploitation, urbanization, acid rain and wildfires. And according to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the 33 million acres of forestland that are lost annually around the globe are responsible for 20% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.  Deforestation also contributes to air and water pollution, a loss of biodiversity, erosion, and climatic disruption.

COP21:

As deforestation contributes to air and water pollution, a loss of biodiversity, erosion, and climatic disruption. The global climate agreement reached in Paris marks a historic moment for forests as they are now enshrined in international climate action. All countries agreed on simple but strong language that operationalizes forest protection and flips the ‘on' switch for the international finance to make it happen. It also brings in the necessary technical and scientific rules to make sure there is the blueprint to build national forest protection plans. In doing so, they expanded the opportunities for forests to play a key part in our global response to climate change, helping to achieve both mitigation and adaptation goals.

Pakistan's Scenario:

Pakistan is among those countries, where deforestation rate is so high. App. 4.8% of the total land area of Pakistan is under forests. The remaining forests are very diverse in nature and of significant importance to the country's economy and livelihoods of the local people. The forest area under the authority of Forest Department is 4.8% and about only 26% are productive forests, the rest is kept in the protected and reserved category. The population growth in the Pakistan is estimated 2.6%, which shows the high pressure on the natural resources.

There is not just population needs exert pressure on the one of the most important and major country's natural resource, there are many parameters effecting on the state of forests. Some factors/parameters responsible for the plight of forests in Pakistan are going to described;

Factors responsible for plight of forests in Pakistan:

·         Energy requirements

·         Timber harvesting

·         Unsustainable forest management practices

·         Over grazing

·         An over view of over grazing trend

·         Agriculture-forestry interfaces issues

·         Unsustainable deforestation

·         Impact of deforestation on biodiversity

·         Key issues and an overview of the overall state of forests and forestry

The major direct causes include:

1. Overexploitation of forests for fuelwood, timber, grazing of livestock and KPK due to the imbalance in the demand and the production capacity of forests as well as without investing in and ensuring regeneration.

2. Conversion of forests (even on steep hill slopes) into agricultural lands: unplanned developments, especially for housing and communication infrastructure.

The main underlying causes include;

1. Rapid increase in population and change in lifestyles.

2. The poverty of rural communities due to lack of sustainable livelihoods and their high dependence on forests not only for meeting subsistence needs for wood products but also for income generation.

3. Lack of alternate means of energy, especially for rural households.

4. Weak capacities of the public sector agencies and the local communities to manage their forests sustainably.

5. Lack of advanced technology to manage and regenerate the forests sustainably.

6. Lack of recognition of environmental services including regulation of yield of water, biodiversity conservation, carbon fixing and amelioration of climate, countryside recreation and ecotourism and control of soil erosion.

7. Lack of involvement of stakeholders in forest management and open and transparent benefits sharing. Sustainable forest management is not practiced in its complete form and true sense as its parameters are not yet understood by the forest managers.

Trends in Forecast Values of Forest Areas in Pakistan for the Years 2005-2020

Linear projections are interpreted as follows:

• No change in forest area in KPK Province is predicted till 2020

• Punjab will have an increasing trend at a rate of 16,000 ha per annum tripling its forest area by 2020

• Forests will continue to expand in AJK at a rate of 7,000 ha per annum

• 23,000 ha per annum increase in forest area is expected in Punjab and AJK during the next two decades

• The forest area in Sindh will keep on shrinking at a rate of 5,000 ha per annum. At this rate, Sindh will lose half of its existing forests by 2020

• Deforestation is likely to continue in Balochistan at 12,000 ha per annum, the province losing half of its existing forests by 2020

Conclusion:

The conclusion from these predictions is that Balochistan, Sindh and Northern Areas will lose a total of 51,000 ha per annum during the next two decades. The net result of the linear model forecast for the four provinces, Northern Areas and AJK predicts decrease in the total forest area of Pakistan at a rate of 28,000 ha per annum till 2020. In other words, the total forest area of Pakistan is likely to be 2.78 million ha in 2020 against 3.29 million ha in 2001. At a certain stage in the future, forest areas in the provinces, Northern Areas and AJK would stabilize and complete deforestation of any forest type would certainly not happen in Pakistan notwithstanding the high rate of deforestation of natural forests recorded in the past.

The Most Likely Situation in Upcoming Future:

·         The natural forests will degrade further at least at the rate of 0.67% annually

·         The standing volume of trees on farmlands will increase at the rate of 3.68% per year

·         Generally, the watersheds and rangelands will degrade further. However, the water sheds of mega-dams will start receiving attention for improvement

·         The government's main thrust is going to be on bringing wastelands mainly under tree cover and to increase trees on farmlands

·         The trend of conversion of coniferous forests on steep hillsides for cultivation will slow down due to low productivity and profitability of agriculture

·         The ban on commercial harvesting may be lifted but regeneration of felled areas will get more funding and attention

·         Irrigation water supplies will continue to decrease and irrigated plantations will suffer more from water shortage in the future

·         Use of wood, as fuel, will no longer be a cheaper option in the wake of inflated rates of forest labour and transportation charges of fuelwood

·         The use of alternatives for timber (construction material and furniture made of iron etc.) and fuelwood (natural gas, biogas and LPG, off-grid small and medium hydropower in mountains) will increase significantly

·         The share of the forest sector in providing employment will decline slightly.

However, some opportunities for employment will be created for qualified foresters to work with NGOs and the private sector. But the impact on the overall situation of employment will not be significant. Employment in the wood-based industry is likely to stay at the current level till 2020 because the expansion of the wood-based industry is not foreseen.

What Would Happen With Forests?

An Overview by Major Types;

Coniferous Forest:

The total area under coniferous forests is expected to decline at the rate of 40,100 ha per annum. If Pakistan is really unfortunate to have this high rate of loss in the next two decades, then by 2020 only 0.632 million ha of coniferous forests will be standing against 1.512 million ha in 1992.

Sub-Tropical Dry Forest:

 Scrub forests are likely to expand at a rate

of 13,200 ha per annum reaching a total area of 1.719 million ha by 2020 from the existing 1.323 million ha .This may be due to deterioration of coniferous forest into the scrub. Mostly this will happen in KPK, Punjab, and AJK

Riverine Forest:

The riverine forests in Sindh are expected to decline from 95,000 ha in 2001 to 60,000 ha in 2020 at the rate of 400 ha per annum but smoothing trend analysis has predicted that total riverine forests in Pakistan will stabilize at around 120,000 ha by 2020.

Irrigated Forest: 

The irrigated plantations of Punjab and Sindh are likely to expand at a rate of 3,900 ha per annum with the increase in total area from 174,000 ha in 2001 to 254,000 ha by 2020. The total area of mangrove forests in Sindh and Balochistan will decline from 158,000 ha (2001) to 52,000 ha by 2020 at the rate of

4,900 ha per annum with complete deforestation by 2030

"YOU CAN'T EFFICIENTLY MAKE,  MANAGE, OR STUDY ANYTHING YOU DON'T LOCATE AND MEASURE"

The Real Status of Plight, technically, No One Knows the Exact Area of Forests in Pakistan. There are the evidences; There is considerable debate over the precise area under forests in Pakistan (UNCED, 1992) Pakistan has 4.2 million ha covered by forests and trees, which represents 4.8 percent of the total land area (Forestry Sector Master Plan Project, 1993, Deptt. Of Forestry, GOP). Economic Survey of Pakistan (2001-02) shows that forest area has increased over the time, from 3.46 million ha in 1990 to 3.79 million ha in 2001-02. According to the FAO report, "State of Forests, 2001," the total forest area of Pakistan (sum of natural forests plus forest plantation) decreased from 2.75 million ha in 1990 to 2.36 million ha in 2000. The Asian Development Bank claims that forest cover dropped from 3.6% of the total land in 1990 to 3.2% of the total land in 1999. The total forest cover area of Pakistan is 5.1% (PFI, 2012). FAO (2007) reported that the total area of forests in the country is 4.34 million ha (5.01%)

According to the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad, Pakistan (2002), on planning front our government agencies still look at FSMP as a reference point. It is not an operational planning document. PFRI study that was conducted with improved ground resolution satellite images and an intensive terrestrial inventory, have already challenged the accuracy of data and statistics provided in the earlier studies about forestry resources in KPK.

There is a sheer need to reassess the area under forest cover in Pakistan utilizing the latest technology and accompanied by intensive terrestrial inventory. Otherwise, any future planning based on the Government of Pakistan's current claim that forest cover in Pakistan is increasing would not be successful.

Timber Mafia

There were reports from 1995 onward of large-scale illegal timber harvesting in almost all regions of KPK, including Malakand and Upper Swat. Also, lorry-loads of timber, illegally cut in northern Pakistan, were sent to Afghanistan to reappear in Pakistan but now declared as Afghanistan out-sourced. From Hazara & Kohistan about 0.6 million cubic feet standing trees were cut and smuggled down-country (The Nation, November 1999).

How could We Create a Better Future?

The main areas of focus for remedying the situation include:

·         Sustainable use and management of natural forests, irrigated plantations, rangelands, watersheds, wider forest landscapes, wildlife and protected areas

·         Forestry interventions for carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation

·         Sustainable exploitation, value addition and marketing of KPK

·         Alternative sustainable livelihoods including community-based ecotourism and countryside recreation

·         Prevention and control of forest fires, diseases, parasites and pests

·         Enhancing irrigation efficiency in plantations

·         Promotion of alternatives for timber and firewood

·         Meeting the gap in supply and demand of wood and wood products, e.g. paper and pulp, through imports

·         Safeguarding the forests from transfer of land for non-forestry purposes, encroachment

·         Access to new efficient technologies

·         Mitigating or reducing the adverse impacts of local or regional development initiatives on forests and negative influences of the factors external to forestry

The Key Approaches to Remedying the Situation are:

·         Pakistan requires policy, legal, institutional and financial reforms in the forestry sector as well as institutional strengthening and competency development, stakeholder participation and an enabling environment for sustainable management of forest and other allied resources. The full potential of Federal Forestry Board should also be utilized to enhance the effectiveness of the Board.

·         Provincial governments should formulate their own strategies and action plans to achieve the goals and objectives of the national policy and MEAs to address their province-specific issues and priorities.

Institutional Reforms:

·         The Pakistan Forest Institute (PFI), as the prime forestry research and education institute in the country, should be strengthened for a revised mandate and approaches including networking and incorporating comprehensive IT-based forest management.

·         Establishing a sound and scientific database geared to meeting the requirements of policy, planning, management and assessment of current global trends, the structure/staffing, etc.

·         Strengthening the Office of the Inspector General of Forests for policy, coordination, and leadership role, accessing and providing funds and expertise to the provincial forest departments, interaction with donors, international and regional organizations and secretariats of MEAs, inter- and intra-ministry liaison, coordination with civil society organizations, access to and making new forest-related technologies available to the provincial forest departments.

Forestry Education at PFI:

There is a growing realization that the curriculum for graduate courses at the PFI has not kept pace with the changing needs of expertise in the sector for example:

·         Sustainable forest management

·         Business management

·         Participatory forest management

·         Forest assessment, integrated planning and management, monitoring and evaluation

·         Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs)

·         IT-based databases and operations (GIS, GPS)

·         Forest management approaches other than legal options e.g. stakeholder participation

·         Biodiversity conservation, protected area planning and management

·         Forest production-related technologies including nurseries and regeneration; innovative ways of financing and environmental economics for valuation of forest services

·         Efficient irrigation technologies

·         Cost effective control of forest fires, weeds, pests and diseases

·         Restoration of forests, protected areas, watersheds and rangelands after earthquakes as well as restoration of abandoned mining quarries

·         Sustainable farm management, business management, environmental assessment and participatory forest management

·         A system of updating knowledge and keeping abreast with new developments through refresher/in-service courses needs to be established at the PFI to enable the foresters to meet challenges being faced due to globalization including climate change and SFM.

·         Forestry research: Research should focus on policy research and applied research on priority forestry issues to be useful for policy makers and forest managers respectively.

The others vital steps must be taken to stop deforestation:

1-Pressuring Corporations and Markets:

If corporations have the power to destroy the world's forests, they also have the power to help save them. Companies can make an impact by introducing zero deforestation policies and cleaning up their supply chains. That means holding their suppliers accountable for producing commodities like timber, beef, soy, palm oil and paper in a way that has a minimal impact on natural forests and the climate. Companies can also introduce paper procurement policies that set ambitious targets to maximize use of recycled wood, pulp, paper and fiber in their products and ensure that any virgin fiber used is certified by a third party certification system such as the Forest Stewardship Council. But these corporations haven't taken action on their own. That's why we're investigating, exposing and confronting environmental abuse by corporations. And thanks to your actions, major companies are changing their ways. Learn more about what corporations like Kimberly-Clark, Kraft and Burger King have done on their end to stop deforestation.

2-Promoting Sustainable Consumer Options:

When consumers speak, corporations listen. Individuals can make a difference in the fight to save forests by setting the best example. We can all use the power of our purchases to put pressure on companies that have bad environmental practices.

By buying recycled or certified wood products, only supporting brands with zero deforestation policies, and getting others to do the same, we can send a message loud and clear that companies need to be part of the effort to create a deforestation-free future.

3-Changing the Politics:

If we're going to stop deforestation, we need government to do its part. Specifically, we need world leaders to embrace ambitious domestic and international forest policies based on the latest science. In the U.S., we use laws like the Wilderness Act, the Lacey Act and the Roadless Rule to protect our forests and stop illegal wood products from entering the US marketplace. We also support and use global treaties like the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to help protect forests and the endangered plant and animal species that rely on forests for habitats. And globally, we urgently need commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation in tropical forest developing nations.

Get Up, and Lets Ready to Save the Future

We Can Do It, Together…

Thank You!

_________________________________________________________________________________

References;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestation

Ron Nielsen, The Little Green Handbook: Seven Trends Shaping the Future of Our Planet, Picador, New York (2006)

http://rainforests.mongabay.com/deforestation/2000/Ethiopia.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7206165.stm

http://www.actionbioscience.org/environment/nilsson.html

http://www.arborday.org/programs/rainforest/GOP. 2008. Demographic Indicators – 1998 Census, Population Census Organization of Pakistan.

GOP. 1992. Pakistan Forestry Sector Master Plan.

Asia-pacific forestry sector outlook study ii,working paper series, working paper no.  Apfsos ii/wp/2009/28, Pakistan forestry outlook study by office of the inspector general of forests, ministry of environment, government of Pakistan.

Ahmed et all, Decline of conifer forest cover in Pakistan: a GIS approach, Pak. J. Bot., 44(2): 511-514, 2012.

Suleri, A.Q. The State of Forests in Pakistan through a Pressure-State-Response Framework, Working Paper Series # 82, 2002. A publication of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).

The News, 1999

X-Ray Facility for Pets

Radnor Veterinary Hospital announced that the practice is now using digital radiography to take a pet’s dental x-rays. Digital dental x-rays allow veterinarians to view bone and tooth root changes that would otherwise not be visible with an oral exam. These x-rays will also assist in the diagnosis of tooth root abbesses, pulpits (tooth nerve inflammation), endodontic disease, and resorptive lesions. Digital x-rays are easier for veterinarians to administer than traditional x-rays and also safer for pets, say Wayne veterinarians Dr. Len Donato, Dr. Becky Ehrlich, Dr. Carla Germano, and Dr. Stephen Meister.

Digital dental x-rays are making it easier for veterinarians to detect oral health problems, including common dental problems that would not otherwise visible through an oral exam alone. Wayne PA veterinarian Dr. Len Donato announced his veterinary hospital now offers these digital x-rays as part of a pet’s regular dental examination.

Source: globenewswire

Goats are Simply Great!

Eight facts about mountain goats you should know, just click the given link!

The Great Goats!

Vets, Bees and Pesticides

This may be simplistic, but when an insect is subjected to a battery of pesticides, doesn’t it make sense that their population might suffer?

Since 2003 in North America and Europe the tragedy known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has been wiping out bees. In Europe, the EPILOBEE project concludes that yearly colony mortality rates between 2012 and 2014 were up to 36 percent; in the U.S. data shows that annual colony losses reported by beekeepers reached up to 45 percent. As in, a lot of our bees are dying every year. Scientists have been unable to pin responsibility to a single source; there seems to be a number of factors thrown into the mix, but not the least of which is pesticide exposure.

Yet even that is complicated. It’s not like there is just a pesticide or two as the culprit ... and the relationship between bees and pesticide is complex, say scientists. But now researchers from the National Veterinary Research Institute in Poland have developed a method for much more detailed analyses of pesticides – they can now analyze 200 pesticides at the same time – and results of their recent study using the method are eye-opening.

"Bee health is a matter of public concern – bees are considered critically important for the environment and agriculture by pollinating more than 80 percent of crops and wild plants in Europe," said Tomasz Kiljanek, lead author of the study. "We wanted to develop a test for a large number of pesticides currently approved for use in the European Union to see what is poisoning the bees."

With so many pesticides currently in use, it's difficult to work out which ones are harming the bees. Certain combinations of pesticides, or their use over time, could affect honeybees in different ways. In order to understand what's really going on, we need to know which pesticides and at what concentration levels are present in honeybees, say the researchers. What they found after investigating more than 70 honeybee poisoning incidents was the presence of 57 different pesticides present in the bees.

"This is just the beginning of our research on the impact of pesticides on honeybee health," said Kiljanek. "Honeybee poisoning incidents are the tip of the iceberg. Even at very low levels, pesticides can weaken bees' defense systems, allowing parasites or viruses to kill the colony. Our results will help expand our knowledge about the influence of pesticides on honeybee health, and will provide important information for other researchers to better assess the risk connected with the mix of currently used pesticides."

Source: treehugger

An Apple a Day...And a Pet...Think Again!

New research shows that pet owners go to the doctor less frequently than their non-pet-owning peers, according to the Human-Animal Bond Research Initiative. The economic analysis, conducted by researchers at George Mason University, calculated more than $11 billion in savings in U.S. health care costs as a result of pet ownership.

The biggest savings was calculated from the lower incidence of physician office visits by pet owners as compared to non-pet owners. In the study, 132.8 million pet owners in the United States visited a physician 0.6 fewer times than people without pets. With the average office visit costing $139, pet owners saved $11.37 billion in healthcare costs, according to the release.

Dog walkers, in particular, got a special “shout out” from researchers. The more than 20 million people who walk their dog five or more times per week showed a lower incidence of obesity and a $419 million savings in related healthcare costs.

Researchers said that more data was necessary before they could calculate savings on the positive impact of pet ownership on infection control, cardiovascular disease, cholesterol, stress and psychological issues.

“Because this analysis is limited and conservative,” researchers wrote, “the healthcare savings associated with pet ownership is likely to be even greater.”

Founded by Petco, Zoetis and the American Pet Products Association, the HABRI Foundation maintains an online library of human-animal bond research and information and has funded more than $500,000 in research projects to scientifically document the health benefits of companion animals.

Source: DVM360

Plant Some Trees to Save a Town from Flooding

Plant some trees to save a town from flooding. The many regions in Pakistan are under the threat of flash floods. The report was published in the "Guardian" and now we are sharing it with you.

Plant some trees to save a town from flooding...

Source: The Guardian

Plans to Build the Largest Garden City

The Black Country long ago secured its place in the nation’s history as one of the catalysts of Britain’s industrial revolution. If it involved metal, the chances were that somewhere along the production line this sprawling, the soot-stained stretch of the West Midlands, boasting an abundance of canals, coal mines, forges, factories and warehouses, played a part in its creation.

But while industrialization brought jobs, it carried a heavy price. For decades, life expectancy was noticeably shorter in the Black Country than in many other parts of the country and the region has found it hard to shake off a reputation for being an industrial backwater where few want to live. Some claim that its myriad smoking chimneys were the inspiration for Mordor, the foreboding, the volcanic region in JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

Suffice to say that even the Black Country’s most passionate supporters are unlikely to mistake it for a garden city – one of the purpose-built, self-contained communities surrounded by green space, as promoted at the beginning of the 20th century by a new wave of urban planners. But just over a century later, the Black Country is unveiling plans to build the largest garden “city” Britain has ever seen, to meet what planners say is an unprecedented demand to live in the region. Already home to more than 1.1 million people, it is expected to house 200,000 more by 2026.

Ahead of a major property festival in Cannes, the region is seeking £6bn in investment to build 45,000 new homes over the next decade in what promises to be one of Britain’s largest ever brownfield site regenerations.

It will be the first garden city to be formed by bringing existing towns into one conurbation, from Wolverhampton in the west to West Bromwich in the east, Halesowen in the south and the village of Wednesfield in the north. The scheme will ultimately generate £18bn for the local economy, according to its supporters. Some 550 sites have been identified for possible development.

“Not since the second world war has a garden city been built on this scale or at this speed,” said Dr. Chris Handy, a board member of the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership. 

Source: The Guardian

Love for Nature

A couple has transformed 300 acres of denuded farmland in Karnataka into what is probably India's first private wildlife sanctuary.

Read complete story here;

Love for Nature

Agriculture Jobs - Punjab Public Service Commission Pakistan

Dear Agrarians,
We are happy to inform you that Punjab Public Service Commission Pakistan has announced new posts in Agriculture Department. Please, follow the given link. Good Luck!

Agriculture Jobs - Punjab Public Service Commission Pakistan

Best Adoptable Agriculture Business Ideas

This link is posted just to share the quality knowledge. Agri. Education Pakistan is not responsible in anyway.

Best Adoptable Agriculture Business Ideas

Public-Private Partnerships- The Future of the Crop Insurance

By;  Brandon Willis, Risk Management Agency Administrator

Farming is in my blood, and I’m proud of that. I grew up on my family’s sheep ranch in northern Utah and managed our raspberry farm before coming to USDA. For the past three years, as Administrator for the Department’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), I’ve sat across the table and listened to producers who, like myself back in Utah, couldn’t find an insurance product for their operation.

Natural disasters and unexpected events make agriculture a risky business, so having a strong safety net is essential for today’s farmers and ranchers. Nobody knows that better than RMA.

We’re proud of the safety net that RMA provides for America’s farmers and ranchers. A key component of that safety net is the public-private partnerships that enable us to deliver crop insurance, so it wasn’t surprising when I was asked to be on a panel discussing “The Future of Agricultural Credit and Insurance Provision Through Public-Private Partnerships” at this year’s Agricultural Outlook Forum on Feb. 26, here in Washington, D.C.

Working with the private sector, we developed products like Whole-Farm Revenue Protection for smaller and diversified producers so they can insure all of the crops and livestock on their farm under one policy. We held more than 120 events in 2014 to educate producers about the Whole-Farm option. To date, there are nearly 1,100 Whole-Farm policies across the country providing $1.1 billion in coverage.

Crop insurance has become one of the true success stories of farm policy in the past 40 years. There are two reasons for this. First, crop insurance balances the interests of producers and taxpayers. Second, it is delivered in a way that marries the strengths of the private and public sectors.

The competition between the 17 private insurance companies and their agents who sell and service the individual crop insurance policies drives customer service and efficiency. Claims are typically paid within 30 days to help our producers get back on their feet, much faster than other farm relief programs. And the private sector has proven it will respond rapidly to unexpected events. The drought of 2012 is a prime example of this.

The public sector’s strengths benefit the crop insurance program in many ways. As a regulator, we ensure the fairness of policies and set the rules. We also make sure that policy rates are accurate and that there’s crop insurance options for all producers, large, small – and everywhere in between. Over the past three years, we have offered new options and expanded coverage for so many producers who had traditionally been left out of the farm safety net, making our nation’s food production more resilient.

RMA also forms partnerships for education and outreach programs, especially focusing on underserved farmers and ranchers around the country. Over the past 10 years, RMA has awarded $124 million for these partnerships. In 2015 alone, nearly 90,000 farmers and ranchers participated in our outreach events.

Our bottom line: Through strong public-private partnerships we’re working together to help keep farmers in business.

Source: USDA

Role of Women in Fisheries-An Incredible Report

An interesting FAO GLOBEFISH study, GLOBEFISH report: The role of women in the seafood industry was released last May.

Women are essential contributors to the seafood industry, including primary activities, secondary industries and service related to fisheries and aquaculture.

At the global scale, estimates illustrate that every one seafood worker out of two is a woman.  

In many African coastal communities, the work of the fishermen is done when they return from fishing, but the women’s responsibilities for cleaning, processing, smoking and selling the fish at market begin as soon as the fish are landed

While men continue to dominate capture fisheries – particularly offshore and industrial fishing women across all regions are often relegated to processing, local sale and support roles, including cleaning boats and bringing fish to market.

These jobs are typically lower paid – in some cases unpaid – and less recognized for their contribution to the economy, employment and food security. Too often, the unofficial status of this work does not afford the women performing it to access the credit and financial resources that could make her work more efficient.

But the study points out that it is not only an issue limited to small-scale fisheries in developing countries. The publication also examines the situation in developed countries, illustrating the frequent lack of consideration for women’s role and work in the industry, their invisibility to industry players and policy makers, and their surprising absence in the boardrooms and executive positions of major seafood companies.

This is occurring even as women’s management positions in compatible global food industries is visibly improving. Women in Côte d’Ivoire spend long days over traditional smoking ovens

Out of the world’s 100 top seafood companies, only one company is currently run by a woman as CEO.

At a time when the industry must sustainably scale up production to meet a growing demand, companies need to select the best candidates, and cannot afford to exclude 50 percent of tomorrow’s potential leaders.

Source: FAO

10 Trees in Your Residential Block Make You Feel 7 Years Younger

Leafy, tree-lined streets aren't just good for property values; they may also be good for your health, according to a new report. After analyzing two sets of data from the city of Toronto, researchers report that adding just 10 trees to a single city block could improve how healthy a person feels as much as if they made an additional $10,000 a year or if they were seven years younger.

The study in the journal Scientific Reports also found that residents of neighborhoods with higher tree density are less likely to have cardio-metabolic conditions like hypertension, obesity and diabetes. And it's not just that the well-to-do who live on tree-lined streets can afford a healthier lifestyle. The researchers controlled for demographic and socioeconomic factors and found that living near trees still had an effect on one's perception of health and overall health.

"These effects are independent of how much money people make," said Marc Berman, director of the Environmental Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Chicago, and the senior author of the paper. "Wealthy neighborhoods and poor neighborhoods with trees seem to have better health."

The tree data in the study came from the Toronto city government, which has cataloged every single tree on public land, including the species of the tree and its size. The researchers also looked at satellite data with a half-meter resolution to see how much of the tree canopy in any given neighborhood came from backyard trees. The health and socioeconomic data came from the Ontario Health Study and included more than 30,000 residents in Toronto.

Source: LA Times

How should manage a Forest in the Drought?

Drought, especially prolonged or severe drought, can be a major stress in forest ecosystems.  Drought can kill trees directly or indirectly through insect attack or wildfire. Both of which are more likely to occur during drought.

Tree mortality impacts most of the ecosystem services provided by forests, including the amount of wood that grows, how much carbon is captured and stored, the health of critical wildlife habitat, water yield and quality, and even whether it’s safe to pursue recreational activities such as hiking or hunting.

Fortunately, there are forest management practices that can help land owners and managers continue to supply the goods and services society needs, even when forests are affected by drought. These practices focus on actions that reduce stand density (the number of trees on an acre) and adjust species composition (the species of trees and other vegetation growing on a site). Fewer trees might not necessarily use less water than more trees, but they might be healthier and better able to resist drought stress and insect attack.

Some tree species are inherently more resistant to drought and fire than others. So, by managing forest density and composition, land owners and managers help ensure that resources are available to support the growth of desired forest vegetation.

Thinning can be used to reduce stand density and adjust species composition, with the goal of reducing or mitigating drought-related stress and can improve stand resistance and resilience.

In newly planted stands, seedlings with limited root development are vulnerable to extreme drying, because their roots are too small or poorly developed to find scarce soil moisture. When drought is expected during or following planting, land owners and managers should consider using seedlings with larger root systems or appropriate “containerized” seedlings that have a plug of soil already attached to the roots.

Managing understory vegetation or controlling competition from other plant species during drought is important in established stands as well as for regeneration.  For example, an open understory of grasses and legumes may better tolerate drought than a thick midstory of shrubs and small trees.

Source:USDA

MoU with USAID to Promote Livestock, Dairy and Horticulture Sectors

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in order to promote investments in agriculture and horticulture sectors of the Punjab province.

“Through this partnership both the sides will work together in promoting investment and creating jobs in livestock, dairy and horticulture sectors,” said USAID Provincial Director for Punjab Dr Miles Toder while speaking on the occasion.

PBIT CEO Amena Cheema was also present on the occasion.

Dr. Toder said that the combination of USAID and PBIT resources would help stimulate the business-enabling environment in the province to overcome investment and trade challenges.

Through this MoU, the USAID-funded five-year-long $15 million Punjab Enabling Environment Project (PEEP) and PBIT would promote investment opportunities for joint ventures, advocate public-private partnerships emerging from agricultural initiatives, and highlight trade and investment areas for international and domestic investors.

Source: technologytimes.pk

Wheat farmers cautioned about rust disease

Wheat farmers cautioned about rust disease

Use of Biotechnology-The Future of Cotton Yield

Agriculture scientists can improve cotton yield through the use of bio-technology in breeding programmes of cotton, said Dr Aslam Bhutti, Regulatory Scientist BASF America.

Addressing a seminar on "Genetics Changes in Cotton and Needs of 21th Century" organized by Evyol and Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) jointly, here, he said that Pakistan could be brought in the list of top cotton producing countries by working on breeding programme. Bio-technology is vital to enhance yield and change financial condition of farming community.

Describing different challenges being faced by cotton sector, Cotton Commissioner Dr Khalid Abdullah stressed the need for changing priorities to improve the produce.

He also highlighted different measures being adopted by the government to enhance earning from cotton sector.

Director CCRI Syed Sajid Shah also shared expertise and working of CCRI for promotion of the crop.

President Evyol Muhammad Asif Majeed also informed about objectives of research programmes and different achievement. PCGA Chairman Shehzad Ali Khan, Chairman Plant Breeding Islamia University Dr Iqbal Bandesha, Dr Dil Bagh and Dr Naveed also spoke on the occasion.

Source: technologytimes.pk

True Friendship Story- A Human & A Penguin

Penguin swims 5,000 miles every year for the reunion with the man who saved his

life. It’s the story of a South American Magellanic penguin who swims 5,000 miles each year to be reunited with the man who saved his life.

Retired bricklayer and part-time fisherman Joao Pereira de Souza, 71, who lives in an island village just outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, found the tiny penguin, covered in oil and close to death, lying on rocks on his local beach in 2011.

Joao cleaned the oil off the penguin’s feathers and fed him a daily diet of fish to build his strength. He named him Dindim. After a week, he tried to release the penguin back into the sea. But, the bird wouldn’t leave. ‘He stayed with me for 11 months and then, just after he changed his coat with new feathers, he disappeared,’ Joao recalls.

And, just a few months later, Dindim was back. He spotted the fisherman on the beach one day and followed him home. For the past five years, Dindim has spent eight months of the year with Joao and is believed to spend the rest of the time breeding off the coast of Argentina and Chile.

Source: Metro.co.uk

Use of Plastic for High Yield in Agriculture

A new degradable plastic film that is less than the width of a human hair is helping to regenerate native trees and establish high-value crops.

Professor Peter Halley and QUT’s Emeritus Professor Graeme George with the award.

The new technology, developed by a team in partnership with the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Polymers, with The University of Queensland’s Professor Peter Halley as a co-project leader, won the Excellence in Innovation Award at the CRC Association gala dinner on 8th March.

Professor Halley said the ultra-thin films were applied to the crop at seeding, trapping heat and moisture close to the ground to create a greenhouse effect.

“As the plants grow, the plastic film breaks down in the sunlight, removing any environmental hazards,” Professor Halley said.

“This is a great benefit to crop growers, as they will be able to plant earlier, improve the germination of their crops, use less water and potentially produce higher yields.

“Licensed by Australian company Integrated Packaging, the new plastic film technology is already in use in Ireland for the production of maize.”

Source: UQ News