Forests Play a Major Role in Ensuring Water
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Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forestry Provincial Snapshot TIMBER FODDER Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ENERGY WATER PRODUCTION FORESTS PLAY A MAJOR ECOLOGICAL FUNCTION ROLE IN ENSURING WATER CARBON SINKS QUALITY AND REGULATION. DEMANDS ON A FOREST IN THE MODERN ERA Pakistan is a part of the Indus basin. Major watersheds in the north KP contribute to Tarbela LAND AREA VS FOREST COVER and Mangla whereas water from the western mountains drains directly into the Indus River. Privately owned State owned 2 2 THE CHALLENGES 2 529,282 ha 527,496 ha The harvesting system for guzara forests was 250,106 ha reorganised under a para-statal Forest Development 881,913 KM 73,395 KM 63,915 ha 4,918 KM 0.6% of Pakistan Corporation (FDC) in 1976. Later on, the Guzara PAKISTAN KP FOREST AREA PRIVATE GUZARA STATE FATA forest owners organised into Forest Co-operative Societies (FCS) but this failed as the co-operative societies were 491,800 ha from PFRI study using 841,517 ha based on the In KP, 92% of the legally defined hi-jacked by vested interests to over-exploit forests. FAO standard physical definition of the legal definition of forest as used forests are either privately owned or forest: Over 10 hectares, trees taller than by and under general jurisdiction encumbered with rights of and 5m with 10%+ canopy cover. of the Forest Department. concessions to the local communities. The devastation from a flood in September 1992 was linked to the deteriorated forests around the main rivers. Malpractices and mismanagement of forests GREEN GROWTH PROGRAMME 2015-2020 by the Forest Co-operatives were blamed resulting in a BILLION TREE TSUNAMI N federal ban on commercial timber harvesting throughout Chitral W E Pakistan in September 1993. 400 S Planting and Forest decline was noted from 1996-2008 Sowing 200 347 Achievement in spite of a 15 years ban on harvesting. in hectares Kalam Upper Kohistan The population of KP increased by 200 Dir Kohistan 42% from 16 million to 23 million. Farm forestry 200 Upper Dir Lower Kohistan Land in forest use decreased by 107,009 ha (15.8%). 160 Kaghan Swat Alpuri Batagram Natural forests covered 14.7% in 1996 but 12.4% in 2008 in Hazara Lower Dir and Malakand. Stocked forests that covered 9.2% in 1996 are down 400 Siran Closure to Malakand Tor Ghar to 7.8% in 2008. With 52.7% the rangelands remained the dominant encourage 600 Buner Agror Tanawal overall land-use. regeneration 732 263,213 ha 263,213 23,096 ha 306,983 ha Mardan Gallies Total target of 1,000 Peshawar Haripur billion trees 1,000 IN THE COLONIAL PERIOD, FORESTS WERE achieved 1,239 MANAGED THROUGH RIGID FOREST LAWS AND Planting Sowing Closures SOME SCIENTIFIC FOREST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. Original Target Revised Target Achievement Kohat (Million Plants) (Million Plants) (Million Plants) LATER, FIVE POLICY PAPERS WERE Plantation 2015-16 Phase II INTRODUCED FROM 1955 TO 1991. THEY WERE Bannu Proposed Sites for Phase III INCONSISTENT, CONTRADICTING, AND UNREALISTIC. STAKEHOLDERS' MAPPING OF FOREST Forest Region Boundary RESOURCE, WATERSHED Forest Division Boundary such policies remained wishful while the MANAGEMENT SUB-SECTOR MAP OF PLANTATION AND actual forest management went on under colonial laws, based on the colonial Forests have several stakeholders and ignoring any D.I. KHAN PROPOSED SITES FOR of them or their interest/influence defeats the larger Working Plan Code. objective of sustainable management. Four broad PHASE III categories have been identified: P&D Department Financial Assistance Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public sector Right-holders and VDCs /community Civil society www.pndkp.gov.pk institutions forest owners institutions organizations/ NGOs.