FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCE
BACHELOR OF CHEMISTRY WITH MANAGEMENT (HONS.)
(RAS2227A)
CHM 576
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY:
(DEFORESTATION DUE TO INFRASTRUCTURE EXPANSION)
PREPARED FOR:
DR RAZIF BIN MUHAMMED NORDIN
PREPARED BY:
NAME STUDENT ID CLASS
NUR NABILA BINTI HALIPAH 2018659872 RAS2227A
NURUL HUSNA BINTI AHMAD JEFFRY 2018249218 RAS2227A
NURUL SYAZIAH BINTI ABD KHODIR 2018260126 RAS2227A
CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE
1.0 WHAT IS DEFORESTATION 3
2.0 EFFECT OF DEFORESTATION 4
2.1 THE GOOD OF DEFORESTATION 5
2.1.1 More usable room for communities to be build
2.1.2 Generate more revenue
2.1.3 Allows industrialization
2.1.4 Can be source of materials
2.1.5 Help those in poverty
2.2 THE BAD OF DEFORESTATION 7
2.2.1 Flooding, soil erosion and droughts
2.2.2 Landslides
2.2.3 Increasing carbon dioxide gas (CO2) in the atmosphere
2.3.4 Loss of habitat caused extinction of wildlifes
2.3.5 Frequency of pandemics
3.0 WAYS TO OVERCOME DEFORESTATION 9
3.1 Recycle items (Green Business)
3.2 Keep eye on protected areas
3.3 Law and Regulations
3.4 Together work on forest planting
3.5 Educative campaigns
4.0 CONCLUSION 12
5.0 REFERENCES 13
2
INTRODUCTION
1.0 What is deforestation?
According to Sarah Derouin, deforestation is permanent removal of trees to make room
for something besides forest especially for infrastructure expansion. While, about 30%
of the Earth’s land surface covered by forest which it provides 13.4 million people with
jobs in forest sector and rely on them for food, shelter, fuel, and medicine. Nowadays,
forests around the world are under assault which they are burning and disappearing. As
we know, Malaysia is a country in south-east Asia that made up of Peninsular Malaysia
and Eastern Malaysia. Nearly 63 percent of Malaysia is forest and commercial tree
crops, rubber and oil palm which equivalent to the whole UK.
About 2000 years ago, deforestation has greatly altered landscape around the world and
now just over 20 percent of it is forested. Meanwhile in Malaysia, an estimated 18
percent of Malaysia’s forest is virgin forest. Today, greatest amount of deforestation is
occurring by extensive road construction, building, or upgrading roads into forests to
make them accessible.
Recent studies show that rate of deforestation in Malaysia is increasing about 85 percent
between 1990-2000 and 2000-2005. However, there are some threats to forest which
logging, energy, mining, commercial plantations, resettlement, fires and infrastructure
expansion that can cause environmental issue.
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DISCUSSION
2.0 Effect of Deforestation
The effect of the deforestation that most dangerous is loss of animal and plant species
because of the habitat. However, trees help to control flooding with their roots hold soil
firm in heavy rains and absorbs some of the rain but their absence can cause disastrous
floods. For example, what happen in Klang, Setia Alam, Bukit Raja and all the cities
around Selangor. Then, the forest provides a shelter for some species then regulate the
temperature. When human destroy their habitat or home, animals seek the shelter
surrounding or near their places. Animal migration may be chaos to human which not
only unnatural but dangerous. This is because animal can spread pathogens to humans
which can lead to dangerous diseases known as zoonotic disease. For example, zoonotic
disease already spread among the humans which malaria that spread by mosquitos.
Study have been shown that deforestation is associated with increased malaria
prevalence. Moreover, there are some studies that have hypothesized causes COVID-
19, SARS-CoV2 that jumped from animals to humans. Our immune systems cant
handles these new infectious that grow into a global pandemic. If we want to avoid
future pandemics, we must protect habitats from deforestation. Then, the loss of the
habitat may increase greenhouse gases that released into the atmosphere. Deforested
areas lose that ability and may release more carbon which the healthy forest must absorb
carbon dioxide from atmosphere. Removing trees on big scale through deforestation
which would drop about 10 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions.
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2.1 The Good Effects of Deforestation
2.1.1 More usable room for communities to be build
Throughout many situations, trees are cleared to make way for city planning.
Housing, highways, and commercial space can be expanding with these areas
freed up, contributing the local economies. Due to the expanding population,
usable land is hard to obtain. Deforestation is one of our only options for feeding
our expanding population.
2.1.2 Generate more revenue
Land clearing in areas where there are few job opportunities. People who live
in rural places are frequently under-educated and under-trained. Logging jobs
and potential mining jobs added by cutting forest can provide these people with
high-paying positions. Even an increase in agriculture may result in the creation
of new farming jobs in the area. These new jobs and commercial ventures also
result in increased tax revenues, which can be used to fund social services and
other government initiatives.
2.1.3 Allows industrialization
When we think about it, large areas of forest around the world are left unused,
that also could perhaps be turned into much more useful land - based activities,
that could help sustain hundreds or even thousands of starving people. Several
of these picturesque land areas may be used to build better structures which will
support wages rise, thereby helping all of the people who live in them
financially.
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2.1.4 Can be source of materials
Most of the forest are all being taken down in order to make lumber and other
wood products. They could be used to make some good paper and several other
essential items, from the saps to the plants. It is possible to use the land for
agricultural purposes. Given the products of deforestation, it can undoubtedly
provide economic benefits, both regional and local in many cases. Timber and
paper are created for the entire world to enjoy, and even some of the toilet tissue
often used in households did come from deforestation.
2.1.5 Help those in poverty
Among the most underappreciated benefits of deforestation is its impact on
impoverished populations. Poor farmers can sell charcoal and lumber in times
of need, or even clear more land for agriculture. To supplement their earnings,
they can clear land and raise livestock.
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2.2 The Bad Effects of Deforestation
2.2.1 Flooding, soil erosion and droughts
Once the forest chopped down, the flow of water is interrupted, and the soil's
ability to retain water is diminished. The trees and plants absorbed large amount
of water with the help of their roots, now that it is gone, flooding and drought
will happen. The loss of trees which anchor the soil with their roots caused the
land exposed to water. The soil erosion will lead to water pollution. It is
dangerous to human as well.
2.2.2 Landslides
With the expansion of the infrastructure and agriculture, the landslides are more
likely to be increasing by years. The climate changes in Asia and sudden
extreme rainfall had caused landslides. Deforestation and the destruction of
natural water tunnels ended up causing irreparable harm to the upper soil layers
on high mountains, resulting in landslides in hilly areas. Forests and trees have
a role and act as a barrier to avoid landslides. Due to the reckless forest cutting,
we have lost the barrier to protect us from dangerous.
2.2.3 Increasing carbon dioxide gas (CO2) in the atmosphere
Photosynthesis does not happen as the plants been cutting out. Photosynthesis
is the process where the plants make their own food by absorbing carbon dioxide
gas (CO2), sunlight and water and released the oxygen gas (O2). The CO2
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concentration will be increasing and causes global warming. The atmosphere
also will have a little oxygen.
2.2.4 Loss of habitat caused extinction of wildlife
Because of the enormous forest clearing, the animal has lost their habitat. They
were also being forced to move to other places. Because of the habitat
disturbance, it caused animal extinction. Deforestation also reduced the food
availability and caused the animals lose their food sources and finally will lose
their lives.
2.2.5 Frequency of pandemics
As humans and animals closer, the disease from animals transfer to human
easily. SARS, Ebola, and now SARS-CoV-2 are extremely contagious viruses
have sparked a global fear and confusion since 2002, and all three have spread
to humans from wild animals living in thick forest areas.
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3.0 Ways of Deforestation
Deforestation can occur because of giving permission to access protected land for
infrastructure expansion such as road construction purpose. Road expansions
frequently result in logging and illegal logging, in which they cut down trees without
the approval of authorities. Many road segments' plans do not consider as the unique
environmental values and changes in the economy. Many road segments only provide
minor benefit, but it can cause major risks. Therefore, these are some of the ways to
prevent deforestation occur due to infrastructure expansion:
3.1 Recycle items (Green Business)
Deforestation can be reduced significantly by using green quality and
consumption management methods. It's the emphasis on reusing items, reducing
synthetic materials, and recycling more items. Forests and other natural
resources are being depleted due to the use of paper, plastics, and wood for
economic purpose. There will be less reliance on land and resources and trees
if people focus on recycling paper, plastics, and wood products. It will also
reduce raw-material imports from other forest regions around the world by
governments and businesses.
3.2 Keep eye on protected areas
Most protected forests areas are forbidden in cutting trees because it can cause
danger such as big flood or soil erosion in some areas. Any planned
regarding road expansion or building that affected protected forests, habitats
or wildlife species, should be rejected. Forest remote access will be impacted,
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and deforestation boundaries will occur because road or building construction
will go through inside forest areas and wildlife protected areas. These should be
known as serious environmental issues since it will be affected to settlement
areas and harm to people. Widen new protected lands along road routes are all
strongly recommended. People should concentrate their money on improving
and maintaining the existing roads rather than building new ones.
3.3 Law and Regulations
Laws and regulations at governmental and organisational levels are playing
important roles when the effort to stop the human activities and forest
destruction still going on. Even though some people are mindful of the effect
of deforestation, some of them prioritise economic profits which
only gains benefit in a short period over long term environmental damage.
Thus, to stop deforestation and protect natural vegetation, organisations and
governments need to formulate rules, laws and regulations to help implement
forest protection policies. In order to limit deforestation, laws on trees, wood
fuel, agriculture and land use, and other forest resources must be enacted and
implemented. For example, the logging guidelines of Papua New Guinea stated
that missing links and projected on road segments known occur at >30 degrees
slope in forest areas should be cancelled or reduced, which prohibits logging of
such steep slopes. Such roads will have extremely high construction and
maintenance costs, as well as significant environmental risks for local and
downstream ecosystems, as well as landowners. (Alamgir et al, 2019).
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3.4 Together work on forest planting
Local communities, in collaboration with their local government and other
nearby associations such as schools, corporations, and universities, need to start
localised tree planting programmes and manage their local forests through
community forestry. Concerned local citizens can raise mindfulness and plant
trees on various occasions such as public holidays, opening ceremonies,
environmental days, and other periodic localised activities. This can be done in
the surrounding areas to improve green environment and ensure the viability of
local forests. As a means of addressing the deforestation threat, all local
educational institutions, hospitals, local government headquarters, and the rest
of the community can ensure that trees are planted and local forests are protected
from damage.
3.5 Educative campaigns
These conservation forest, habitat, and nature protection
agencies, environmental programmes, can band together with the goal of
preserving, and protecting forests to ensure the world's natural resources
have long-term sustainability. It is easier to put in place proper sustainable
forestry systems when such large organisations work together. When
environmental conservation and protection groups work together, they can have
a much impact. The fastest and most workable solution to deforestation is the
development of appropriate land use planning techniques. Deforestation can be
significantly reduced if land use planning focuses on environmentally friendly
development techniques.
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CONCLUSION
Deforestation has become a major global environmental issue. Thousands of trees are taken
down every day for the purpose of using the wood for fuel, building materials, and paper
products. As the world's population grows, the demand for agricultural land increased. When
a lot of trees are cut down, the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere rises, raising the
earth's temperature. Soil erosion has increased as a result of deforestation, which can result in
abnormal floods and droughts. Forest clearing can disrupt normal water flow, resulting in
unusual floods and droughts. Due to rising demand and high mineral prices, the impact of
mining on tropical forests is becoming more prominent. Mining operations are frequently
accompanied by major infrastructure projects such as roads, railway lines, power plants,
placing additional burden on forests and freshwater ecosystems. To address the issue of
deforestation, a number of strategies are needed, including the creation of a global protected
area to protect forest biodiversity and the genuine implementation of good practise guidelines
for the use of forest resources. Finally, policy reform and a shift in judgement' attitudes are
required to ensure that forests are properly valued economically.
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REFERENCES
Alamgir, M., Sloan, S., Campbell, M. J., Engert, J., Kiele, R., Porolak, G., Mutton, T., Brenier,
A., Ibisch, P. L., & Laurance, W. F. (2019, July 24). Infrastructure expansion challenges
sustainable development in Papua New Guinea. PLOS ONE, 14(7), e0219408.
[Link]
Behrens, A. (2021, March 6). Positive and Negative Impacts of Deforestation - Pros and Cons.
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[Link]
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[Link]
F. (2017, January 14). 16 Advantages and Disadvantages of Important Deforestation.
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Ghazoul, J. (2013). Deforestation and Land Clearing. Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, 447–456.
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Miller, B. (2019, December 16). 17 Important Pros and Cons of Deforestation. Green Garage.
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Pimm, S. L. (2020, March 24). Deforestation. Encyclopaedia Britannica.
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