By: Ibni Maqbool
Srinagar: An official study has revealed that 4286. 2 square kilometers of forests are highly vulnerable to fires in Jammu and Kashmir.
The study titled “forest fire risk zonation and vulnerability assessment” categorizes the compartments of Jammu & Kashmir Forest divisions into four vulnerability classes (unlikely, low, medium & high.
A total of 102 forest ranges of 30 forest divisions of the UT of Jammu & Kashmir have been assessed for forest fire vulnerability under this project.
The study carried out by the Department of Ecology, Environment & Remote Sensing reveals that 1018 compartments of forests spread over 4286. 2 square kilometers are highly vulnerable to fires in Jammu & Kashmir.
According to the report, 2930 compartments of forests spread over 9490. 15 square kilometers have medium vulnerability to fires while 1514 compartments spread over 4636. 47 square kilometers have low vulnerability to fires.
According to the report, 1184 compartments of forests spread over 9457.04 square kilometers are unlikely vulnerable to fires.
The study has been carried out based on the various factors responsible for forest fires, such as fuel, wind speed, slope, aspect, proximity to roads, proximity to infrastructure and ecological conditions. In the study, an attempt has been made to model the forest fire risk zones based on various indicators as prescribed in the National Action Plan on Forest Fire (NAPFF).
The study has been carried out for crafting suitable management action plans to minimize incidents of forest fires and prevent damage to the rich biodiversity of Jammu and Kashmir.
