ANALYSING THE ESCALATION OF FOREST FIRE IN INDIA: EXPLORING CAUSAL FACTORS AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES

Abstract

Forest fire is one of the main factors of forest degradation that affects the social, economic, and cultural settings of forest-dependent people. India has 24.64% of its geographical area under tree and forest cover. Among forests, approximately 55% are deciduous forest, highly susceptible to forest fire primarily driven by escalating human activities and their associated impacts. Based on the literature survey and secondary data sources, this paper assesses the trend and pattern of forest fires, their associated causes and why forest fires still occur in India on a larger scale. The findings of the study reveal a rapid increase in forest fires over time, from 18,719 in 2001 to 111,267 in 2021 according to MODIS sensor data with the highest frequency in March and April. The central and north-eastern states of India have experienced the highest fire incidents, causing a massive loss of property, lives, and natural resources. This study demonstrates that the causes of fire vary significantly from location to location and season to season. The concluding section of the study recommends measures to deal with the economic vulnerability of locals, resource availability and adaptation for forest fires in India. Furthermore, this study is adding fresh insights to the discourse on forest fires and suggested possible mitigation strategies and potential solutions which can be useful for other similar geographical contexts.