THE Capital Development Authority (CDA) has taken a lead in deciding to use the latest technology to protect forests and wildlife.
It is acquiring drones for detection of forest fires, illegal cutting, presence of wildlife and also encroachments.
Pakistan’s forest cover is among the lowest in the world – about 5% of the land – compared with the global average of 31%.
A report presented in Lahore High Court about two years back revealed that the country’s deforestation rate was estimated between 0.2 and 0.5 per cent per annum — the highest in the world — accounting for four to six per cent decline in its wood biomass per annum.
The report observed that the natural forest cover had reduced from 3.59 million hectares to 3.32m hectares at an average rate of 27,000 hectares annually.
With this in view, the court ordered the Punjab government, Defence Housing Authority and various other development authorities to make a comprehensive policy for tree plantation and penalizing those removing, cutting or damaging trees.
One must give credit to CDA for its tireless efforts to turn Islamabad green through successful tree plantation campaigns with favourable impact on the overall environment of the capital.
This is also in line with the overall efforts of the present Government, which is focusing on making Pakistan clean and green.
However, frequent fires during summer pose a serious threat to forest cover around the capital especially in Margalla Hills as these widely damage trees and harm the wildlife.
No doubt, acquisition of drones and their proper utilization by a trained manpower could make a difference as the Authority would be in a position to detect fires and other illegal activities and take prompt and timely remedial action.
But mere identification would not help if a properly trained and equipped force is not there to react on the information gathered through drones.
As forests elsewhere in Pakistan also face similar issues, we hope provincial governments would also encourage their departments to acquire the latest technology to save forests.
