LAHORE – Pakistan is losing 11,000 hectares of forest cover every year due to deforestation, wildfires, climate change and conversion of forest land into agriculture, commercial and housing schemes.
On International Day of Forests, the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) underscored the urgent need to protect and restore the country’s forests, which serve as a lifeline for biodiversity, support local livelihoods, and maintain the health of ecosystems.
Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General, WWF-Pakistan, remarked that forests provide a range of benefits to the environment, wildlife, and humans. They regulate the climate conditions and control floods and droughts while having social and economic benefits.
“We can improve the forest cover and support local economies with better planning, protection, and management of the forests. Replanting and restoring degraded or destroyed forests is essential to improve food security, combat climate change, reconnect wildlife habitats, and address issues such as flooding and soil erosion. Conserving forests is, therefore, not just an environmental imperative but a social and economic necessity”, he said.
WWF-Pakistan is actively working to conserve and restore forest cover through various initiatives, including the Recharge Pakistan Programme, Engro Forest Restoration and Carbon Offset Project, Rung Do Pakistan, Integrated Water Resources Management in the Indus Basin, Agroforestry and Biodiversity Conservation Project, among others.
By adopting sustainable forestry practices, WWF-Pakistan and its partners are working tirelessly to restore and protect these vital ecosystems. Efforts to build resilience against environmental threats in Pakistan include developing a Forest Fire Early Warning System and restoring over 9,000 hectares of forests through afforestation and reforestation projects.
This year’s theme, “Forests and Food,” emphasizes forests’ critical role in supporting food security, improving local livelihoods, and conserving biodiversity. Forests support our food systems directly and indirectly. They provide nuts, berries, mushrooms, honey, gum, edible herbs, and several medicinal plants. They also support livestock production, provide water for drinking and agriculture, regulate soil fertility, and protect agricultural land against floods and droughts.
WWF-Pakistan urges government agencies, civil society, businesses, and local communities to take collective action to conserve and protect forests, as they are essential for sustaining life on the earth.
