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- A team of glaciologists from the Divecha Centre for Climate Change of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, who are in the Parvati Valley in Himachal Pradesh for their project work, were alarmed to see a massive forest fire on Tuesday (March 29) and Wednesday (March 30) in the region adjacent to the glaciated region.
Firstly, What is Forest Fire?
- Forest fires are wildfires that spread uncontrollably, burning plants, animals, grasslands and brushlands that fall in their path. The wind spreads the fire rapidly, causing significant air pollution.
- Generally, fires that continue for longer or are highly inflammable are caused by climatic changes. There are also instances of forest fires caused by humans, lightning and extreme drought.
Team’s statement
- “We went up to the Parbati Hydroelectric project. The fire is affecting a very large forest area near the glaciated region. Parvati Valley has 279 glaciers and 396 square kilometer of glaciated area. The fire is adjacent to Sara Ugma glacier.”
- There have been 16,840 forest fire incidents in the country between March 28 and March 30, according to Forest Survey of India’s forest mapping. In Himachal Pradesh, 80 forest fire incidents have been reported in the past two days.
(Source: Hindustantimes)
IPCC report
- ‘Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region’, a ministry of earth sciences report modelled on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) assessment reports, which source scientific evidence on climate change globally, flagged in 2020 that the Himalayas and Tibetan plateau recorded warming of 0.2 degree C per decade between 1951 and 2014.
- In the higher reaches, the warming was recorded at the rate of 0.5 degree C, much higher than the average warming experienced over the entire country.
- The Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) recorded a temperature rise of about 1.3 degree C during 1951-2014 compared to an average temperature rise of around 0.7 degree C during 1901-2018 over the country.
- This has led to several areas of HKH recording a steep decline in snowfall and retreat of glaciers in recent decades. The high elevation Karakoram Himalayas, however, has experienced higher winter snowfall and hence, far less glacial retreat.
Other Major Concern
- The most glaciers in the Himalayas are retreating, with the pace accelerating from the beginning of the 21st century.
- As several studies have shown, warming is much higher in the upper reaches of Himalayas, with loss of glaciers and lake formation increasing. These lakes can burst and cause flash floods.
- There are a number of mechanisms through which such floods can happen in association with landslides and avalanches.
- Glacial overflow that triggered a flash flood and swept away two hydroelectric plants in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, killing over 200 people.
Causes of Forest Fire
- Forest fires can be caused by many natural causes but many major fires in India start mainly from human activities.
- At present, the incidence of forestry is continuously increasing in the whole world, especially in Brazil and Australia, for which climate change can be considered responsible.
Anthropogenic causes (90% of all wildfires)
- Smoking (Habit of smoking while driving, walking or biking and then throwing away the cigarette butts without completely extinguishing)
- Campfires (During camping or outdoor activities)
- Burning Debris (the waste matter or trash is debris that burns slowly)
- Fireworks (Fireworks are used by humans for various reasons such as festivals)
Natural Causes
- Lightning (A lightning strike can produce a spark. Sometimes the lightning can strike power cables, trees, or rocks and any other thing and this can trigger a fire.)
- Volcanic eruption (Hot magma in the earth’s crust is usually expelled out as lava during a volcanic eruption. The hot lava then flows into nearby fields or lands to start wildfires.)
- Heat Patterns (Increased temperatures due to global warming)
Effects
- Forest fires can impact the economy as many families and communities depend on the forest for food, fodder and fuel.
- It burns down the small shrubs and grasses, leading to landslides and soil erosion.
- Burning of forests causes smoke and poisonous gas emissions that result in significant health issues in humans.
- Wildfires damage the habitat of animals, causing them to wander in cities. Many die in the fires, unable to escape.
- These fires destroy the vegetation, soil quality and overall flora and fauna.
Question:
Which one of the following states has the highest percentage of area under forests?
- Himachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Uttar Pradesh
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