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This story has been updated to include the name of Mohd Amin Khan, from the School of Humanities & Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Indore as part of the research team
Forests in Central India’s Khandwa and North Betul divisions are at high risk of forest fires, driven by both human activity and natural factors, a new study has found. The paper has underscored the urgent need for targeted fire management strategies in these areas.
The research, Assessing Forest Fire Dynamics and Risk Zones in Central Indian Forests: A Comparative Study of the Khandwa and North Betul Forest Divisions of Madhya Pradesh, was conducted by Vibha Sahu, a doctoral student at the School of forestry ecology and environment at the Indian Institute of Forest Management.
Published on August 14 2024 in journal Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, the study analysed forest fire patterns in the Khandwa and North Betul forest divisions of Madhya Pradesh over the past 22 years. Vibha and her colleague, Mohd Amin Khan, from the School of Humanities & Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Indore, utilised satellite data from MODIS to monitor and map the fires. The researchers wanted to understand how and where fires start and spread.
The scientists noticed a slight increase in the number of fires, with about three more per year in Khandwa and one more in North Betul. But the bigger picture revealed something more alarming: Approximately 45 per cent of Khandwa’s forest and 50 per cent of North Betul’s forest fall into high or very high fire risk zones.
In Khandwa, these high-risk areas are mainly in the northern and southeastern parts, including the Khalwa, East Kalibhit, West Kalibhit, Chandgarh and Aonliya ranges. In North Betul, they are located in the northwestern and northeastern regions, such as Shahpur, Betul, Sarni and Bhaura.
The study found significant clustering of fire incidents, suggesting that certain regions are more prone to fires due to factors such as vegetation type, topography and human activity. For example, areas close to roads and with highly combustible forests are more likely to experience fires.
Khandwa’s teak-dominated forests are at higher risk compared to the mixed-species forests of Betul, the paper stated. The research used models such as the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to predict future fire risks and categorise areas into five risk levels.
Furthermore, local communities harvest forest resources, such as mahua flowers and tendu leaves, but their collection methods, including burning undergrowth, can inadvertently heighten fire risks.
This study is significant as it helps focus conservation efforts on the areas most vulnerable to fires. By targeting these high-risk zones, forest managers and policymakers can develop better strategies to prevent and control fires, safeguarding both the forests and the people who depend on them.
Lead researcher Vibha Sahu told this author, “Our study shows that Khandwa faces a higher fire risk, underlining the need for targeted planning and resource allocation to manage fire threats effectively.”