Asian Forests

CHINA

The Great Green Wall, officially known as the Three-North Shelter Forest Program is a series of human-planted wind-breaking forest strips (shelter-belts) in China, designed to hold back the expansion of the Gobi Desert, and provide timber to the local population.The program started in 1978, and is planned to be completed around 2050, at which point it will be 4,500 kilo-meters (2,800 mi) long.

The project's name indicates that it is to be carried out in all three of the northern regions: the North, the Northeast and the Northwest.This project has historical precedences dating back to before the Common Era. However, in premodern periods, government sponsored afforestation projects along the historical frontier regions were mostly for military fortification.

SAIHANBA NATIONAL FOREST PARK

Located in the Northeast of China's Hebei province, right on the border with Inner Mongolia region. The park has 78% forest cover. Saihanba was the old hunting grounds for the Qing emperors. However, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, new settlers in the area caused heavy deforestation. Just 60 years ago, this area was an arrid desert with sand dunes and only one lone pine tree remaining.

The area was replanted over many decades and is now much restored. Small patches of desert sands can still be seen in some locations but most of the park is now a mix of forests and grasslands.

The park is divided into three main sections, each with their own characteristics. The northern area of the park abuts grasslands of Inner Mongolia. The central area of the park is predominantly man-made forests with large amounts of silver birch and pines. The southwest area is more open, with a mix of meadow pasture and forest with a more natural feel. The park supports a diverse range of plants and fauna.

THE GREATER HINGGAN

The biggest and most important pine forest in China. The mountain is 1,400 kilometers long and 300 kilometers wide -- 62 percent of which is covered by forests with a total area of 15 million hectares.

XISHUANGBANNA

Stretching around 930 square miles (over 80% of which is covered in forest) China’s Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve has a rare tropical forest ecosystem that includes plenty of virgin forest.

The site was recognized as a UNESCO International Man and Biosphere Reserve in 1993. It has more than 50 rare plant species, and there are several endangered animal species, including Asian elephants, Indo-Chinese tigers, and gibbons.

The climate of Xishuangbanna is very humid. Because the nature reserve is surrounded by mountains, it’s protected from cold north winds and opened to maritime moisture. Annual precipitation fluctuates from 40 to 80 inches a year.

The terrain has lots of hills, with lush, verdant basins between them. It also has many river crossings, namely the Lancang River system.

INDIA

Forestry in India is a significant rural industry and a major environmental resource. India is one of the ten most forest-rich countries of the world. Together, India and these other 9 countries account for 67 percent of total forest area of the world. India's forest cover grew at 0.20% annually over 1990–2000, and has grown at the rate of 0.7% per year over 2000–2010, after decades where forest degradation was a matter of serious concern.

As of 2010, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates India's forest cover to be about 68 million hectares, or 22% of the country's area The 2013 Forest Survey of India states its forest cover increased to 69.8 million hectares by 2012, per satellite measurements; this represents an increase of 5,871 square kilometers of forest cover in 2 years. However, the gains were primarily in northern, central and southern Indian states, while northeastern states witnessed a net loss in forest cover over 2010 to 2012. In 2018, the total forest and tree cover in India increased to 24.39% or 8,02,088 km². It increased further to 24.56 percent or 807,276 square kilo-meters in 2019.

Unless India makes major, rapid and sustained effort to expand electricity generation and power plants, the rural and urban poor in India will continue to meet their energy needs through unsustainable destruction of forests and fuel wood consumption. India's dependence on fuel-wood and forestry products as a primary energy source is not only environmentally unsustainable, it is a primary cause of India's near-permanent haze and air pollution.

Forestry in India is more than just about wood and fuel. India has a thriving non-wood forest products industry, which produces latex, gums, resins, essential oils, flavors, fragrances and aroma chemicals, incense sticks, handicrafts, thatching materials and medicinal plants. About 60% of non-wood forest products production is consumed locally. About 50% of the total revenue from the forestry industry in India is in non-wood forest products category.

THE SUNDARBANS - West Bengal

The world’s biggest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans encompasses around 38,000 square miles of land and water straddling the border of Bangladesh and northern India.

The forest is named after the sundari tree, the most populous in the area. The forest itself only constitutes about 40% of the area of the Sundarbans: Around 50% of it is water, and the rest is comprised of sand dunes and mudflats.

The Sundarbans National Park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the late 1980s, and three wildlife sanctuaries set up in the Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans were honored in 1997. The entire area is considered a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

This area is famously home to the Bengal Tiger, and is one of the last protected spaces in Bangladesh for them to live. But the mangrove boasts many other notable animal residents as well, including wild boars, Ganges river dolphins, cobras, Indian pythons, and crocodiles. It’s also home to over 250 species of birds.

GIR FOREST - Gujarat

The best place to spot the Asiatic Lion, Gir forest in Gujarat is a delight for wildlife lovers. The Gir National Park is spread over 1,412 sq km in the Junagadh district of Gujarat. It was the erstwhile game preserve of the Nawab of Junagadh and was established as a national park in 1965 with the aim to protect and increase the lion population, which had sunk to two dozen in the early 20th century. Apart from the Asiatic lions, the dry deciduous forest is home to several leopards which include jungle cat, desert cat, rusty-spotted cat. ou will also find sloth bears, Indian cobras, striped hyenas, golden jackals, Indian mongoose, Indian palm civets, ratels, chital, nilgai, sambar, four-horned antelope, chinkara and wild boar.

KANHA NATIONAL PARK

And then there is Kanha National Park, the largest national park in Madhya Pradesh. It is famous for being home to about 300 species of resident and migratory birds. However, what it is most popular for is the barasingha (swamp deer). The sprawling sal and bamboo forests in Kanha make spotting the Royal Bengal tiger, leopards, sloth bears, sambhars, chitals, gaur and the Indian wild dog quite easy here. Kanha is also credited for being the forest that inspired British author Rudyard Kipling to write The Jungle Book.

INDONESIA

Indonesia has surpassed the rate of deforestation in Brazil, and become the fastest forest clearing nation in the world.

Deforestation in Indonesia has been a continuing massive loss of forests and foliage across much of the country. Indonesia is home to some of the most biologically diverse forests in the world and ranks THIRD in number of species behind Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

As late as 1900, Indonesia was still a densely forested country: forests represented 84 percent of the total land area. Deforestation intensified in the 1970s and has accelerated further since then. The estimated forest cover of 170 million hectares around 1900 decreased to less than 100 million hectares by the end of the 20th century.^[2] In 2008, it was estimated that tropical rainforests in Indonesia would be logged out in a decade. Of the total logging in Indonesia, up to 80% is reported to be performed illegally.

Large areas of forest in Indonesia have been cleared by large multinational pulp companies, such as Asia Pulp and Paper, and replaced by plantations. Forests are often burned by farmers and plantation owners. Another major source of deforestation is the logging industry, driven by demand from China and Japan. Agricultural development and transmigration programs moved large populations into rainforest areas, further increasing deforestation rates.

Logging and the burning of forests to clear land for cultivation has made Indonesia the world's third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, behind China and the United States. Forest fires often destroy high capacity carbon sinks, including old-growth rainforest and peatlands. In May 2011, Indonesia declared a moratorium on new logging contracts to help combat this. This appeared to be ineffective in the short-term, as the rate of deforestation continued to increase.

SUMATRA RAINFOREST - Endangered Forests

Sumatra is one of the over 14,000 islands of the Southeast Asian nation of Indonesia. The Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (TRHS) largest rainforest are comprised of three national parks: Gunung Leuser National Park, Kerinci Seblat National Park, and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. Together, they are home to nearly 10,000 square miles of UNESCO-protected forest.

Sumatra’s rainforests house many rare and endangered species. Noteworthy animals found there include Tigers, Elephants, Orangutans, Clouded Leopards, Sun Bears, and quite a few others.

Additionally, the beautiful forests of Sumatra are still home to numerous nomadic rainforest people who hunt and gather.

Unfortunately, Sumatra’s Rainforest is also among the world’s most endangered forests. In fact, it represents the most rapidly deforested area in the history of the planet. Some estimates suggest that over half of it has been felled in recent years in the name of creating rubber, paper, and palm oil plantations.

Though many NGOs are fighting to save these forests, industrialization and corruption are continuing to prove formidable adversaries.

KINUBALU NATIONAL PARK

On the northern part of the island of Borneo, Kinubalu National Park encompasses an area of roughly 300 square miles. Despite being one of the smaller forests on this list, it’s biodiversity and mix of habitats make it a big deal.

Kinabalu National Park is famous for its namesake mountain, which, at 13,435 feet, is the tallest one between New Guinea and the Himalayas. With elevations ranging from less than 650 feet up to Mount Kinabalu, the park boasts an extremely diverse and distinctive collection of plants and animals, including over 1000 species of orchids.

Habitats in Kinabalu vary from tropical lowlands and hill rainforest to sub-alpine forest, which has an incredible mix of plants found in the Himalayas, Australia, and China. It is a Center of Plant Diversity for Southeast Asia.

Though the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is thus protected, industrial development has begun to threaten it more in recent years.

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