Describing the distribution of rubber-producing countries indicate the major environmental issues faced by them. (Answer in 250 words)

Natural rubber is obtained mainly from Hevea brasiliensis and is concentrated in humid tropical regions. Production is shaped by rainfall, temperature, labour, processing capacity and global demand.

Distribution

• Southeast Asia dominates: Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia are major producers, with Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines also contributing.
• India, Sri Lanka and parts of Bangladesh produce rubber, especially in Kerala and other suitable humid belts.
• Brazil and other Amazonian countries are the crop’s native region, while Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia are important African producers.

Major environmental issues

• Plantation expansion can cause deforestation, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity loss and carbon emissions, particularly when forests are converted to monoculture.
• Monocropping reduces ecological resilience and encourages pests and fungal disease; chemical pesticides and fertilisers can contaminate soil and water.
• Processing generates effluent, odour and solid waste; latex collection and smokehouses may affect local air quality.
• Soil erosion, water demand and land conflicts arise where plantations expand onto slopes or customary land.
• Climate change alters rainfall, heat stress and disease patterns, threatening yields and smallholder incomes.

Way forward

Deforestation-free supply chains, agroforestry, mixed plantations, water treatment, farmer cooperatives and traceability can reconcile rubber demand with ecological security.

Hevea brasiliensis; Southeast Asia; monoculture; deforestation; agroforestry; traceability; effluent.