From the beginning of human history, Human beings and forests are closely related with each other. And the relationship of the forest people who also called as indigenous people with forests is much more warm, shared and spiritual. Life and culture of the forest communities center on forests and forest ecology. They collect from forest what they need for sustenance and protect it for their own interest. They are the “children of the forest” in true sense. Their values and cultures are very much attached with forest and land. These sects of human beings are directly affected by the deforestation by the urban civilized peoples.
Deforestation is a very broad term, which consists of cutting of trees including recurred lopping, felling, and removal of forest litter, browsing, grazing and trampling of seedlings. It can also be defined as the removal or damage of vegetation in a forest to the extent that it no longer supports its natural flora and fauna. Deforestation refers to the loss of tree cover; land that is permanently converted from forest to non-forest uses such as agricultural pasture, desert, and human settlement.
The Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA), coordinated by FAO, found that the world’s forest area decreased from 31.6 percent of the global land area to 30.6 percent between 1990 and 2015, but that the pace of loss has slowed in recent years.
Forests and Tribal Society
About 4% the world’s population who are considered as the indigenous or tribal peoples lives in special territories in nature where they have cultural, spiritual and economic ties. They also have ability to manage the area and sustain it including knowledge and resource-management skills of the local community.
The forest communities are nowadays faced with difficulties that have pushed them to the frontiers. Urban civilization and market economy have drastically diminished the forest resources throughout the world.
Forest resources shrinking: results the food insecurity. And along with this problem, the indigenous values and cultures have also been severely threatened.
Increasing natural calamity: Indigenous people are facing the risks of losses during any kind of natural calamities because of Deforestation.
Land slide risks: Deforestations increases the risks of landslides in the hilly forest regions.
> Alma Siddiqua
Deforestation and Indigenous Life
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