The section I am editing: Greater Mekong Subregion
Deforestation[edit]
editThe GMS was one of the world's most densely forested areas in the 1970s, but has since lost a third of its forests. It is on a trajectory that will lose it another third between 2010–2030.
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editDeforestation
editIn the 1970s, the Greater Mekong Subregion was one of the world's most densely forested areas. However, deforestation has reduced its forests by a third and is on a trajectory to lose another third by 2030.[1] The highest rates of deforestation in the GMS are found in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar.[2]
Deforestation in the GMS has many causes, including the expansion of unsustainable rubber and palm oil plantations, dam development, infrastructure development, illegal and unsustainable logging, forest fires, and natural resource exploitation.[3] In effect, deforestation has impacted the environment, biodiversity, and inhabitants of the region. The increased pollution due to run-off has made the water of the Mekong unhealthy for the fish and for human consumption, while riverbanks have become more susceptible to the pressures of climate change and flash flooding because of missing protection tree roots provide.[1] The loss of flooded forests[2] has also impacted the aquatic food chain, putting further pressures on the fishing industry and the 40 million people who take part in fishing-related activities in the GMS.[4]
The GMS is a hotspot for vector-borne diseases along its watershed, including malaria, but environmental changes such as deforestation have begun to change this reality.[5] A study that compared malaria rates in the northern and southern regions of Laos found that deforestation increases malaria rates in the short term (1-3 years), but lessens them dramatically in the long term.[6]
Deforestation in the GMS has the potential to become irreversible unless actions are taken and policy is implemented. Local community-supported initiatives, such as the many Community Protected Areas (CPAs) in Cambodia’s Phnom Kulen National Park, have been established to stop illegal logging and poaching.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b Caroll, J. (2018). Pulse of the Forest: The State of The Greater Mekong’s Forests and the Everyday People Working to Protect Them. WWF.
- ^ a b Lohani, Sapana; Dilts, Thomas E.; Weisberg, Peter J.; Null, Sarah E.; Hogan, Zeb S. (2020). "Rapidly Accelerating Deforestation in Cambodia's Mekong River Basin: A Comparative Analysis of Spatial Patterns and Drivers". Water. 12 (8): 2191. doi:10.3390/w12082191. ISSN 2073-4441.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ Gritten, David; Lewis, Sophie Rose; Breukink, Gijs; Mo, Karen; Thuy, Dang Thi Thu; Delattre, Etienne (2019). "Assessing Forest Governance in the Countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion". Forests. 10 (1): 47. doi:10.3390/f10010047. ISSN 1999-4907.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ Fitrian Ardiansyah and Desak Putu Adhityani Putri, “Risk, Resilience and Human Security in Cross-Border Areas: The Greater Mekong Subregion, the Heart of Borneo and the Coral Triangle,” Human Security and Climate Change in Southeast Asia: Managing Risk and Resilience: Managing Risk and Resilience, eds. Lorraine Elliott and Mely Caballero-Anthony (Routledge, 2012): 131–50.
- ^ Cui, Liwang; Yan, Guiyun; Sattabongkot, Jetsumon; Cao, Yaming; Chen, Bin; Chen, Xiaoguang; Fan, Qi; Fang, Qiang; Jongwutiwes, Somchai; Parker, Daniel; Sirichaisinthop, Jeeraphat (2012). "Malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion: Heterogeneity and complexity". Acta Tropica. 121 (3): 227–239. doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2011.02.016. PMC 3132579. PMID 21382335.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link) - ^ Rerolle, Francois; Dantzer, Emily; Lover, Andrew A; Marshall, John M; Hongvanthong, Bouasy; Sturrock, Hugh JW; Bennett, Adam (2021-03-09). "Spatio-temporal associations between deforestation and malaria incidence in Lao PDR". eLife. 10: e56974. doi:10.7554/eLife.56974. ISSN 2050-084X. PMC 8024023. PMID 33686939.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link) CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ Singh, Minerva; Evans, Damian; Chevance, Jean-Baptiste; Tan, Boun Suy; Wiggins, Nicholas; Kong, Leaksmy; Sakhoeun, Sakada (2018). "Evaluating the ability of community-protected forests in Cambodia to prevent deforestation and degradation using temporal remote sensing data". Ecology and Evolution. 8 (20): 10175–10191. doi:10.1002/ece3.4492. PMC 6206189. PMID 30397457.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link)