By Azeem Ahmed
Pakistan is trying to restore its shrinking forests, but climate change, growing land use, weak laws, and limited resources are making it harder to protect fragile ecosystems, a forest expert said.
Dr. Anwar Ali, Director of Forestry Research at the Pakistan Forest Institute, told this repoter that forests in Pakistan cover only 5 percent of the country’s land — about 4.5 million hectares. This is far below the global average of 31 percent and well under the 25 percent needed for ecological balance and sustainable growth.
Rising temperatures are already affecting the country, leading to more floods, wildfires, and the spread of pests and diseases, he said. Forests are struggling to reproduce, and many species of plants, animals, and birds are finding it harder to survive in a changing climate.
Urbanization and expanding agriculture are also taking over land that could otherwise be used for reforestation. “The main challenge is competing land uses such as cities and farmland,” Dr. Anwar noted. He added that limited land suitable for planting and a lack of funds to protect forests over the long term make the problem worse.
Most of Pakistan’s forests are in the northern mountains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, he pointed out. Outdated laws make things even harder, as current regulations mainly cover designated forests and leave private and community forests unprotected. Strengthening these laws and giving the forest department better resources — including staff, money, and technology — is essential to stop illegal logging and land conversion.
“Forest conservation is crucial for our survival and the survival of future generations,” Dr. Anwar said. “We all need to become friends of nature and forests to make our country greener and more prosperous.”
Technology can help fill some gaps. Tools like Geographic Information Systems (GIS), drones, and satellite monitoring can identify areas for planting trees and track their growth and health. However, he stressed that no strategy will work without involving the local communities living near the forests.
“Communities need to be partners in conservation so they feel ownership,” he said. Payment-for-ecosystem services schemes could connect local livelihoods to protecting forests.
Despite the challenges, Dr. Anwar said forests remain Pakistan’s first line of defence against climate change. “Forests are key nature-based solutions that can make our systems much stronger against climate disasters,” he added.
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