Social forestry initiatives credited for growth

The forest department might be taking the credit for the significant increase in forest cover the state has achieved as per the latest biennial national forest survey. The forest minister and the department officials have attributed it to the state’s successful social forestry projects.

The fact that the increase in forest cover, assessed based on the tree canopy density, was recorded outside RFAs (recorded forest areas) in the state, leads one to believe the department’s version. But, there are many other factors which have contributed to the phenomenon including reversal of migration from hilly districts and abandoning of cultivated lands.

Of course, the survey based on satellite data does not cite these reasons. The positive changes in forest cover outside RFAs, as per the report, are attributed to conservation measures and management interventions like afforestation activities with participation of local people.

According to forest minister K Raju, the department was able to convert several hectares of land in districts like Kannur into forests or EFLs (ecologically fragile areas). As per the survey report, among districts in the state which secured large scale increase in forest cover are Kozhikode (433 sq km), Malappuram (336 sq km) and Kannur (226 sq km).

“In districts like Kannur, a reversal of migration is happening, as settlers are moving to cities leaving behind acres of cultivated lands. These abandoned plots have now a good canopy cover,” said Jayakumar C, a noted environmentalist.

This abandoning of agricultural lands which turn into moderate dense forests or open forests, could be happening in many other hilly districts in the state, as the young generation prefers to move to towns taking their parents along with them.