By: Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti
Zain Daudpoto is the only person in Sindh who is fighting against the illegal cutting of forests in Sindh and struggling for their conservation. Being the Chairman Bela Bachayo Committee (Save Forests Committee) he has been making great efforts in this regards. Recently was diagnosed with Cancer but is still determined to fight against the illegal cutting of the forests in Sindh and continue making efforts for their conservation. After the biopsy reports, confirming the disease, he in his message on social media has said though he is not feeling well yet he would continue his struggle and would fight for the forests of Sindh till the last breath. There is no doubt in it that Zain Dauodpoto is an icon of struggle and commitment.
What is Illegal logging? According to conserve-energy-future.com “It is the cutting down of trees, transporting them, or using their products such as timber for economic gains against the prohibition by law. It involves the use of corrupt ways to reach the forests or protected areas, the harvesting or cutting down of the trees without approval, and selling them elsewhere or in black markets as timber. The excessive extraction of timber beyond the stipulated limits is equally pronounced as illegal logging. As global demand for comedies such as paper, wood, and palm oil soars, companies and people continue to encroach even deeper into forests, aggravating the illegal logging problem. In this article, we focus on the underlying causes of illegal logging, its effects, and solutions to the pervasive problem.”
Such illegal cutting or even legal cutting which the environmentalists call an organized butchery has adverse effects over the environment. Some people even call it a suicide attack on our environment. These shocking effects include Poor living standards for indigenous populations, Global warming and climate change, loss of biodiversity and economic losses. Now problem is what to do in this regard and the answer is stewardship of these forests. Which means to feel the ownership of these forests and take care of them. The same website explains that stewardship councils and programs can work as effective tools for managing forests by tracking timber harvesting, transportation, and sale. Such programs can also aid in protecting vulnerable forest areas from further degradation as a result of encroachments or conversion into farmlands. For the effectiveness of forest stewardship programs, it is essential that it works directly with the lumber mills and timber industry to monitor and curtail black markets. And this is what Zian Duodpoto and his organization Bela Bachayo Committee is doing.
I not only appreciate his work but also pray for his speedy recovery from the disease. I would also like to request the all people living in Sindh to feel their responsibility in this regard, come forward and play their part. Zian Dauodpoto once wrote on his Facebook wall a worth million thought that we are not only the owners of the forests but also the consumers and the government is custodian. The Consumer and owner has the constitutional and divine right to check their property and utility qualitatively and quantitatively.