• Deforestation, climate change contributing to devastating floods.
• KP witnesses largest share in decline in biomass production.
• GB forest cover lower than 4%, making region vulnerable to floods.

ISLAMABAD: Experts have warned that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the rest of Pakistan have reached a critical environmental tipping point due to 18% decline in the country’s forest cover — exposing the environment, economy, and national security to serious threats, The News reported on Sunday.

Deforestation, the destruction of rangelands, forest fires, and climate change-related threats are directly contributing to devastating floods, landslides, and cloudbursts. 

Since 1992, forest area has decreased by 18%, while rangelands are producing only 20-30% of their potential biomass, with KP having the largest share in this decline.

The catastrophic floods of 1992, 2010, and 2025 prove that the destruction of forests and rangelands has turned the watersheds of the upper regions into “flood factories”. Environmental experts say forests in Pakistan are not just trees but the country’s first line of defence for the environment, economy, and national security.

They absorb rainwater to prevent flash floods, recharge groundwater, protect agricultural land from erosion, and sustain soil fertility for farming.

They balance the climate by reducing temperatures, storing carbon, and regulating rainfall. The forests also provide fuel, fodder, fruits, medicines, and tourism opportunities while protecting biodiversity.

They shield the country from floods, landslides, and droughts, safeguarding infrastructure, agriculture, and human settlements. The conclusion is clear without urgent restoration and strict measures.

Pakistan faces severe environmental and economic risks but with effective policies and action forests can play a decisive role in securing the nation’s future.

In Pakistan, forest cover has dropped from 3.78 million hectares in 1992 to 3.09 million hectares in 2025 — an 18% reduction. Annual deforestation, which was on peaked at about 40,000 hectares in 1992, has declined due to government intervention to 11,000 hectares in 2025, but international organisations say that even today, Pakistan continues to lose about 11,000 hectares of forest annually.

Alarming situation

Rangeland area has fallen from 60% to 58% and rangeland biomass production has dropped from 100% of potential yield to just 20%.

According to official data, in Chitral, over 3,700 hectares of forest were lost between 1992 and 2009, and experts warn of a further 23% decline by 2030. In Arandu Gol, 1.6 million cubic feet of timber was illegally cut during timber theft — the largest case in Pakistan’s history.

In Kalam, Swat, massive logging in the 1980s and 1990s severely damaged the catchment area of the Swat River, making the floods of 1992 and 2010 far more destructive. Deforestation continues to weaken slopes and increase the risk of flash floods.

This destruction is not limited to a few districts. In Buner, the August 2025 cloudburst triggered a flash flood that destroyed homes, fields, and infrastructure. Deforested mountains failed to hold back the rainwater. In Battagram, fragile geological structures and deforestation caused landslides that blocked the Karakoram Highway, cutting off northern Pakistan’s road access.

In Bajaur, a deadly cloudburst flood in 2025 claimed lives and washed away roads and bridges. In Mansehra, repeated cloudbursts triggered flash floods and landslides, while in Gilgit Baltistan, forest cover has fallen to less than 4%, making the region highly vulnerable to forest fires and glacial lake outburst floods.

Dr Adil Zareef, Convener, Sarhad Conservation Net, warns that forests regulate rainfall patterns, recharge groundwater, and stabilise slopes. Without them, bare mountains heat 5°C to 8°C more than forested areas, causing monsoon winds to rise rapidly and trigger sudden cloudbursts instead of steady rain. Without roots to hold it, soil loses stability, increasing landslides and mudslides, while glacial lake outburst flood risks also grow.

This environmental destruction is directly impacting people.

In KP, about one-third of households rely on livestock, but rangeland productivity has dropped to just 20-30% due to overgrasing and mismanagement. Families that once depended on forests for fodder and fuel are now forced to turn to even more unsustainable means.

The experts stress that the plantation drives alone cannot solve this crisis unless there is strict action against timber mafias and accountability for the involved officials.

They urge the government to declare the destruction of forests and rangelands a national emergency and adopt a comprehensive policy that includes watershed management, grazing control, wildfire management systems, and community participation.

Recommendations include an environmental monitoring system based on satellite and local data, community-based rangeland restoration, promotion of alternative fuel sources, and special units to fight forest fires in mountain districts.

Dr Khalid Khan said that the forests and rangelands of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are the first line of defence against environmental disasters. Their destruction is weakening the country’s natural shield, endangering lives, livelihoods, and national security.

Without urgent leadership and coordinated action, Pakistan will continue to face more frequent and destructive floods, landslides, and environmental emergencies.