International Journal of Environmental Science and Development

Abstract—We underline the main causes of deforestation and present a framework for mitigating the continual loss of forest habitat around the world. The causes of deforestation are complex and they operate at multiple spatial and temporal scales, yet they are related to societal and political factors. Societal factors consist of human migration within rural settings and poverty. Political factors include ineffective land management and negligence of monitoring and protecting forest commodities. Combined, these factors present arduous challenges to protecting forest habitats. In turn, there are at least three strategies to reduce further forest loss. The first strategy involves the cessation of timber cutting and extraction of other forest products. But just as important is the second strategy of creating and maintaining more Environmental Protected Areas. The third strategy is perhaps the greatest challenge, and it involves the adoption of the “green nudge principle”, whereby individuals are educated to modify individual behaviors related to patterns of consumption and to the conservation of remaining forests. This is especially true for the increasingly endangered primary forests. An adoption of these mitigation strategies will help reduce deforestation and will help improve global environments.

Index Terms—Biodiversity, forests, governance, natural resources conservation.

Alexandre Marco da Silva is with Institute of Science and Technology of Sorocaba, São Paulo State University, Brazil (email: amsilva@sorocaba.unesp.br).
John Rodgers is with the Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University, USA (email: rodgers@geosci.msstate.edu).

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Cite: Alexandre Marco da Silva and John Rodgers, "Deforestation across the World: Causes and Alternatives for Mitigating," International Journal of Environmental Science and Development vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 67-73, 2018.