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His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio has embarked on an inspection of the Guma Water facility.
The facility has been affected by deforestation and land grabbing in the quest to construct houses for human settlement. During his visit, the president described his visit as a sad day.
He further ordered an investigation into the allocation of all lands beyond the “Green Belt”.
The current deforestation going in the green belt has a lot of ripple effects on the Guma Valley Water facility.
some of the major effects are as follow;
Environmental Impact
· Loss of biodiversity
o Loss of the variety of plants and animals
o Millions of plants and animals have become extinct due to deforestation.
o We can obtain many resources from the forest such as food, medicine and timber would be lost.
o Plants of medicinal value are lost.
o Deforestation in the green belt increases the mosquito population by reducing predators of the insects or give the mosquitoes more breeding grounds. This increase the occurrence of insect-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
o The soils of deforested areas lack nutrients so they may not be able to support the species that once existed in the rainforest.
[1]Loss of water catchment
o Forests in the green belt area has enable water to be collected and stored within the water catchment area.
o Deforestation disrupt the water cycle and lead to a drier climate and drier soil. Thus the ground no longer contains and receives as much water.
o Loss of water catchment areas can results in a decrease of water supply and higher water prices.
[2]Increase risks of flooding, soil erosion and sedimentation
o When rain falls, forests intercept the rain and allow the rainwater to seep into the ground. When trees are cleared, the ground is left bare and there were be more water flowing on the ground as surface run-off. The surface run-off will flow into the river quickly causing flooding in the surrounding area.
o The roots of tree hold the soil to the ground and keep the ground stable. Moreover rain is intercepted by the different forest layers before hitting the ground. When the trees are removed, the land is exposed and the water washes the soil away when it rains.
o Eroded soil is often washed into rivers and increased the sediments in the rivers. This affects the water quality and the aquatic and marine life. Increased sediments smothers fish eggs and results in lower hatch rates. It turns water cloudy and prevents sunlight from penetrating the water.
[3]Enhanced greenhouse effect
o Deforestation increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it as a carbon. When the trees are cut, the stored carbon is released into the atmosphere.
o Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases which traps heat leading to an increase in global temperatures.
o Increased temperatures can cause ice caps to melt, resulting in the rise in sea levels and flooding. Low-lying islands such as Kiribati and Vanuatu located in the Pacific Ocean may be submerged and disappear into the sea.
[4]Economic Impact
· Depletion of natural resources
o Tropical rainforests provide important natural resources such as timber, food and water which are essential for many industries.
o Rapid deforestation will result in the depletion of the natural resources e.g. timber trade where timber is used to make furniture. As trees are cut down at a faster rate, younger ones cannot grow as quickly in its place.
