PAKISTAN

Less than 2.5% of the land in Pakistan is forested and this is decreasing rapidly due to an annual deforestation rate of over 2%, one of the highest in the world. A 2006 government report stated that, at current rates, timber resources would be totally consumed within 15 years.

The main cause of deforestation is felling for fuelwood, the demand for which exceeds production in most parts of the country. Consumption is expected to continue rising as the population is growing at a rate of 3% a year. Deforestation is threatening the livelihoods of many who depend on the forests, as well as having serious consequences for ecosystems and biodiversity and the impacts of natural disasters such as earthquakes. Experts stated in July 2008 that deforestation was behind the expansion of the country's heat zone, reduced flow in the Indus River and shrinkage of the Indus delta.

To help meet Pakistan's demand, large amounts of timber have been smuggled over the border from Afghanistan where the government has little control over the forests and corruption is rife.

In 2007, allegations were made about large quantities of valuable sheesham wood being smuggled to Dubai. Pakistan furniture industry representatives said they were facing a lack of timber due to low plantation rates and illegal cutting and called on the government to crack down on the smugglers, said to be part of a timber mafia.

The government and local authorities have been accused of showing little interest in combating the problems of illegal logging or deforestation, and have been criticised for a lack of conservation and protection measures or effective enforcement.

DOCUMENTS

DATE	TITLE	AUTHOR
01/04/2011	Pakistan Forest Digest January-March 2011 The Pakistan Forest Digest (PFD) is a quarterly series of digests focused on the forest related issues, ...	Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Pakistan
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23/02/2011	Mediated Policy Dialogues to Address Conflict over Natural Resource Governance The studies outlined in this policy brief demonstrate that mistrust and conflict between government departments ...	NCCR (North South)
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01/01/2011	Pakistan Forest Digest April-June 2010 The Pakistan Forest Digest (PFD) is a quarterly series of digests focused on the forest related issues, ...	Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Pakistan
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25/02/2008	An Anatomy of State Failures in the Forest Management in Pakistan Most of the forests in Pakistan are state owned/managed, and responsibility for the protection/conservation ...	Hasan, Lubna (Pakistan Institute of Development Economics)
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22/05/2006	Analysis of Myths and Realities of Deforestation in Northwest Pakistan: Implications for Forestry Extension Pakistan has a very high deforestation rate. The remaining forests are very diverse in nature and of ...	Ali, Tanvir; Shahbaz, Babar & Suleri, Abid
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31/12/2002	The Underlying Causes of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Pakistan This paper is based on the findings of a workshop held in December 2002 to identify the underlying causes ...	Saaed, Asif (for the FAO)
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NEWS

DATE	TITLE	AUTHOR
06/05/2013	Pakistan: G-B timber movement: Ministry chops up logging policy While conveying the reservations of environmentalists on the recently notified timber movement policy, ...	The Express Tribune (Pakistan)
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20/04/2013	Bungling decision-making: Activists to campaign against timber policy Civil society organisations in the federal capital are protesting the new timber movement policy for ...	The Express Tribune (Pakistan)
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09/04/2013	Senate body concerned over timber smuggling The Senate’s Standing Committee on Climate Change on Monday expressed serious reservations over ...	Daily Times (Pakistan)
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20/11/2012	Pakistan has highest deforestation rate: experts Islamabad - The experts have said that investment in restoring or conserving ecological infrastructure ...	The News, Pakistan
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15/11/2012	Timber smuggling thinning forests in Swat Valley Swat - Though once abundant in foliage and trees, Swat valley in Pakistan is fast losing its greenery ...	The Peninsula, Qatar
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31/10/2012	Punjab, Sindh faces degradation of riverine and mangroves forests Islamabad - The riverine and mangroves forests in Punjab and Sindh province have been degraded due to ...	Online International News Network, Pakistan
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17/10/2012	Timber mafia trade route through Margallas Islamabad - The timber mafia has found a new route at Margalla Hills to transport their consignment from ...	Dawn.com, Pakistan
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25/09/2012	Climate change: Senators alarmed by deforestation in the country Islamabad - With flash floods cutting a trail of destruction across some districts of Balochistan and ...	The Express Tribune, Pakistan
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17/09/2012	New forest policy: In Diamer, fear of deforestation Gilgit - People in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) have voiced concern over “unbridled chopping” of ...	The Express Tribune, Pakistan
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07/09/2012	Timber smugglers arrested for killing 4 people Mansehra - Police on Thursday arrested two timber smugglers who had allegedly killed four members of ...	The News, Pakistan
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29/08/2012	REDD+ initiative for saving forests in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa The forests in Pakistan are severely threatened by growing consumption of fuel wood and illegal logging. ...	Dawn.com, Pakistan
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25/08/2012	Whose timber is it anyway? Karachi, Pakistan - With Pakistan’s last major stands of deodar (cedar) threatened by a ‘timber ...	IPSNews
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14/08/2012	Deforestation, non-availability of fresh water: Riverine, mangroves forests degraded Islamabad - The riverine and mangroves forests in Punjab and Sindh province have been degraded due to ...	Online International News Network, Pakistan
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27/07/2012	Kashmiri journalist arrested for exposing felling of historic trees Neelum Valley, Jammu and Kashmir - A journalist has been arrested by police and is being detained after ...	Environmental News Service
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20/07/2012	Residents of Swat, Chitral appeal against logging Peshawar - Residents of Daral and Bahrain valleys in Swat, Chitral and Kalash valleys have launched an ...	Daily Times, Pakistan
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23/06/2012	Report seeks law to halt deforestation Karachi - The draft Sindh Forest Act 2011 must be passed into law to halt deforestation and bring about ...	Dawn.com, Pakistan
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19/06/2012	Deforestation: 'Pakistan is second biggest country' Pakistan has become the second biggest country with respect to deforestation which was an outcome of ...	Business Recorder, Pakistan
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09/06/2012	Action sought against Chitral timber mafia Peshawar - Domel Welfare Society, Chitral, has demanded the government to take action against timber ...	The News, Pakistan
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27/05/2012	Action sought against timber mafia Peshawar - Residents of Ayun village in Chitral district have expressed concern over growing deforestation ...	The News, Pakistan
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02/05/2012	'Stop charging environmental activists under anti terrorist courts': residents Chitral - For the last three years residents of Ayun Valley in Chitral are in protest against Timber ...	The Dardistan Times, India
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22/04/2012	Crime: 10,000ft of illegal timber seized Mansehra - Police and forest authorities have seized around 10,000 square feet of illegally-cut timber ...	The Express Tribune, Pakistan
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08/04/2012	Endangered mangroves These forests serve an important socio-economic purpose providing sustenance not only to humans but also ...	Dawn.com, Pakistan
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26/03/2012	Govt asked to check deforestation Karak - Many precious trees were on the verge of extinction as the illegal deforestation in the Sheenghar ...	The News, Pakistan
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10/03/2012	Illegal logging: Timber worth millions seized Haripur - The forest department and local police seized 153 logs of timber from the Tarbela Lake in a ...	The Express Tribune, Pakistan
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03/02/2012	Demystifying the illegal economy in Pakistan Pakistan is located on a geographical fault line, and some of the countrys socio-economic ailments have ...	Business Recorder, Pakistan
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28/01/2012	Illegal timber poaching threatening extinction of rare trees in Kohistan Illegal timber poaching in the Kohistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, is now threatening the extinction of some ...	News, Pakistan
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24/01/2012	Deforestation ruining beauty of historical Kalash Valleys the beauty of Chitral particularly of historical Kalash Valleys, also known for greenery, is at the verge ...	Pakistan Observer
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19/01/2012	Forests need immediate rescue Deforestation is one of the most alarming issues faced by Pakistan. The deforestation rate in Pakistan ...	Dawn.com, Pakistan
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17/01/2012	Pakistan's forests fall victim to the Taliban The forests of northwestern Pakistan have become the latest victim of the Taliban's increasingly ...	The Guardian, UK
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30/12/2011	Ex-MNA seeks end to deforestation Peshawar - A leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and former Member of National Assembly (MNA) on Thursday ...	The News, Pakistan
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26/12/2011	100 people arrested in Chitral, protest rallies against deforestation & timber mafia Chitral, Pakistan: the 2nd day of raids and arrests in the small town of Ayun where some 100 people have ...	Ground Report
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14/12/2011	Forest land transfers, deforestation spiral out of control Lahore - A study commissioned by the Scientific Committee of WWF Pakistan has revealed that a startling ...	Pakistan Today
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30/11/2011	Tree slaughter: The Murree hills chainsaw massacre Murree - With the onset of winter, illegal logging in Murree has moved up a gear, further degrading the ...	The Express Tribune, Pakistan
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13/11/2011	Putting a stop to deforestation Creditably for it, the Sindh government has taken an important initiative to stop deforestation. ...	Business Recorder, Pakistan
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10/11/2011	'Father of Mangroves' fights for Pakistan's forests Karachi — It was a brutal kidnap that turned him into an eco-warrior, and 27 years later Pakistan's ...	AFP
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04/11/2011	Draft law proposes steps to halt deforestation Karachi - A revised version of the decades-old forest act suggests critical changes in key government ...	Dawn.com, Pakistan
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06/10/2011	Deforestation termed a key reason for flood losses Karachi - Deforestation in Sindh was also a reason for the recent flooding in the province, which destroyed ...	The News, Pakistan
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17/06/2011	Pakistan tops Asia in deforestation UN says rate of deforestation in Pakistan has quickened since 2010 floods. ...	Al Jazeera
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02/06/2011	Protecting the environment: Forests and Environment Minister talks to forest owners Peshawar - All necessary measures will be taken for protecting the rights of forest owners in Kohat District. ...	The Express Tribune, Pakistan
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17/04/2011	Deforestation blues: A thousand trees fell in Swat Swat - The once scenic valley of Swat is no longer covered in lush, dense forests. During the three years ...	The Express Tribune, Pakistan
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12/03/2011	‘Govt has no intention of converting forest land into revenue land’ Karachi - The Sindh government had no intention whatsoever of converting forest land into revenue, the ...	The News, Pakistan
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19/02/2011	11 sentenced in deforestation case Peshawar - An accountability court on Friday sentenced a forest officer and 10 others for illegal cutting ...	The News, Pakistan
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16/02/2011	Seminar on ‘reforms in forest laws’ held Islamabad - Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) on Tuesday organised a seminar “Legal ...	Daily Times, Pakistan
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12/02/2011	Massive deforestation ruining environment Islamabad – According to forest assessment conducted by the Ministry of Environment in 2004, total ...	The Nation, Pakistan
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13/10/2010	Pakistan flood crisis blamed partly on deforestation Years of illegal logging by the 'timber mafia' and the Taliban cleared forests, allowing raging ...	Los Angeles Times
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02/09/2010	Pakistan floods and the timber mafia Islamabad, Pakistan - There is a link between deforestation in Pakistan and the massive floods sweeping ...	UPI.com
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31/08/2010	Human failing behind Pakistan floods Islamabad - Global warming might be one explanation for Pakistan’s devastating floods, but scientists ...	Toronto Sun, Canada
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29/08/2010	A land left to drown by the ‘timber mafia’ The warnings regularly given by all manner of experts had been ignored for decades. If Pakistan’s ...	The Herald, Scotland
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24/08/2010	Deforestation responsible for ferocity of floods: experts As Pakistan battles one of its worst floods in recent history, experts here say that the widespread destruction ...	Gulf Times, Qatar
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17/08/2010	'Timber mafia' made floods worse When the residents of Mian Gujar village in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan went to bed on the night ...	Al Jazeera
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25/06/2010	Pakistan has highest annual deforestation rate in Asia Karachi -While forests currently cover only 2.5 per cent of the country’s land, Pakistan has the ...	Dawn.com, Pakistan
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17/06/2010	Sindh to declare entire mangrove forests as Protected Area: Zulfiqar Mirza Karachi - The mangroves are the principal component of the delta eco-system, supporting, amongst other ...	Regional Times, Karachi, Pakistan
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28/04/2010	Saving Pakistan's environment, a tree at a time Islamabad, Pakistan — Pakistan has more than its fair share of pressing challenges to deal with, ...	MinnPost
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05/03/2010	Frontier NAB to reinitiate action against timber mafia Peshawar - The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in NWFP has reinitiated action against the timber ...	The News, Pakistan
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05/02/2010	Over 70% forests cut when Taliban controlled Malakand Peshawar - Sarhad Awami Forestry Ittehad (SAFI) has said over 70 percent forests were cut illegally in ...	The News, Pakistan
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25/01/2010	Kashmir plans logging crackdown to slow deforestation Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir - Yousaf Butt, a timber worker in the Neelum Valley at the Line ...	Environment News Service
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23/11/2009	Timber mafia poses ecological concerns KARACHI - The local villagers alleged that the relatives of influential political figures are involved ...	The Nation, Pakistan
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26/08/2009	Pakistani crime feeds Taliban coffers ...	The Star, Toronto
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08/06/2009	Chosin Battalion derails illegal wood smuggling routes in Konar Konar Province, Afghanistan - Konar province, a lush area near the Pakistan border, has in the past been ...	dvids hub, Afghanistan
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30/04/2009	Gems, timber and Jiziya: Pakistan's Taliban harness resources to fund Jihad The Taliban resurgence in Pakistan's lawless provinces and its unhindered march towards the heartland ...	The Jamestown Foundation
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20/04/2009	Deforestation on the rise in Sindh Karachi - The forest resources especially that of Sindh are depleting due to the natural, social and ...	The Nation, Pakistan
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15/01/2009	Massacre of Sindh forests continues unabated Karachi, Pakistan - The federal and provincial governments of Pakistan are looking else where while an ...	Daily Times (Pakistan)
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24/07/2008	Deforestation reason behind global warming: Gilani Islamabad - Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that deforestation is the basic reason for ...	Associated Press of Pakistan
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09/06/2008	Deforestation taking Pakistan's temperature up: expert Karachi: Deforestation is the main reason for the expansion of the heat-zone, reduction in the flow of ...	Daily Times, Pakistan
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01/03/2008	Illegal deforestation continues along the Indus Highway Karak, Pakistan - Illegal deforestation has been taking place on both sides of the Indus Highway, and ...	Daily Times (Pakistan)
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04/12/2007	Deforestation rate in Pakistan highest in world Islamabad - Deforestation rate in Pakistan, estimated at 0.2 per cent to 0.5 per cent annually, is the ...	Pakissan.com
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31/10/2007	Pakistan to participate in world furniture exhibition in Dubai Pakistan - As timber trade grows a federal timber advisory council should be formulated to keep check ...	Daily Times (Pakistan)
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21/06/2007	'Curb timber smuggling to boost furniture exports' Karachi, Pakistan - The government should take concrete measures to curb the smuggling of sheesham wood ...	Daily Times (Pakistan)
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04/06/2007	New laws to be put in to control timber theft Lahore, Pakistan - New laws will soon be introduced to control timber theft and illegal cutting of trees ...	Daily Times (Pakistan)
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18/05/2007	China needs 'responsible' timber choice: Greenpeace Beijing, China - Greenpeace called on China's large DIY retailers on Thursday to adopt 'responsible' ...	Daily Times (Pakistan)
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03/06/2006	Deforestation rate alarming: Report Islamabad, Pakistan - The woody bio mass of Pakistan is now severely threatened by the growing consumption ...	Peninsula On-line (Qatar)
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08/07/2005	Floods linked to deforestation: WWF appeals to stop deforestation and increase in forest cover Lahore - Pakistan, alarmed by damages caused by the recent floods in the country, has appealed to the ...	WWF Pakistan
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17/09/2002	Pakistan: Focus on deforestation Halima Bibi, 60, walks for kilometres through northern Pakistan's Himalayan foothills each day, ...	IRIN Asia
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