- Deforestation, climate change that contributes to devastating floods.
- KP is witnessing the greatest participation in the decrease in biomass production.
- The GB forest covers less than 4%, which makes the region vulnerable to floods.
Islamabad: Experts have warned that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the rest of Pakistan have reached a critical environmental turning point due to the 18% decrease in the country’s forest coverage, exposing the environment, economy and national security to serious threats, The news reported on Sunday.
Deforestation, destruction of grasslands, forest fires and threats related to climate change are contributing directly to floods, landslides and cloud segments.
Since 1992, the forest area has decreased by 18%, while grasslands produce only 20-30% of their potential biomass, and KP has the greatest participation in this decrease.
The catastrophic floods of 1992, 2010 and 2025 show that the destruction of forests and grasslands has turned the basins of the higher regions into “flood factories.” Environmental experts say that forests in Pakistan are not only trees, but the first line of defense of the country for the environment, economy and national security.
They absorb rainwater to prevent sudden floods, recharge groundwater, protect agricultural land from erosion and maintain soil fertility for agriculture.
They balance the climate reducing temperatures, storing carbon and regulating the rain. Forests also provide fuel, fodder, fruits, medications and tourism opportunities while protecting biodiversity.
They prohibit the country of floods, landslides and droughts, protection against infrastructure, agriculture and human settlements. The conclusion is clear without urgent restoration and strict measures.
Pakistan faces serious environmental and economic risks, but with effective and action forests and forests, he can play a decisive role in obtaining the future of the nation.
In Pakistan, forest coverage has decreased from 3.78 million hectares in 1992 to 3.09 million hectares in 2025, a 18%reduction. Annual deforestation, which reached its maximum point in approximately 40,000 hectares in 1992, has decreased due to government intervention to 11,000 hectares in 2025, but international organizations say even today, Pakistan continues to lose about 11,000 hectares of forests annually.
Alarming situation
The Rangeland area has fallen from 60% to 58% and Rangeland biomass production has decreased 100% of potential yield to only 20%.
According to official data, in Chitral, more than 3,700 hectares of forest between 1992 and 2009 were lost, and experts warn about an additional decrease of 23% by 2030. In Arandu Go, 1.6 million cubic feet of wood were illegally cut during the theft of chief, the largest case in Pakistan’s history.
In Kalam, Swat, the mass felling in the eighties and ninety severely damaged the Swat River capture area, which makes the floods of 1992 and 2010 much more destructive. Deforestation continues to weaken slopes and increasing the risk of sudden floods.
This destruction is not limited to some districts. In Buner, the August 2025 cloud caused a sudden flood that destroyed houses, fields and infrastructure. The deforested mountains could not contain rainwater. In Battagram, the fragile geological structures and deforestation caused landslides that blocked the Karakoram road, cutting the access of the Northern Pakistan road.
In Bajaur, a deadly flood in 2025 claimed lives and eliminated roads and bridges. In Mansehra, repeated cloud bubbles caused sudden floods and landslides, while in Gilgit Baltistan, the forest cover has fallen to less than 4%, which makes the region highly vulnerable to forest fires and flood floods of glacial lakes.
Dr. Adil Zareef, convening, Sarhad Conservation Net, warns that forests regulate rain patterns, recharge groundwater and stabilize slopes. Without them, the naked mountains are heated from 5 ° C to 8 ° C more than the Gorged Areas, which makes monsoon winds quickly rise and trigger sudden cloud bubbles instead of constant rain. Without roots to sustain it, the soil loses stability, increasing land landslides and landslides, while the risks of flooding of glacial lakes also grow.
This environmental destruction is directly impacting people.
In KP, approximately one third of households trust cattle, but the productivity of the grasslands has decreased to only 20-30% due to excessive fat and poor management. The families that once depended on the forests for fodder and fuel are now forced to resort to even more unsustainable media.
Experts emphasize that the plantation promotes only cannot resolve this crisis unless there is strict action against wood mafias and the responsibility of the officials involved.
They urge the government to declare the destruction of forests and grasslands a national emergency and adopt a comprehensive policy that includes basin management, grazing control, forest fire management systems and community participation.
Recommendations include an environmental monitoring system based on satellite and local data, community -based grasslands, promotion of alternative fuel sources and special units to combat forest fires in the mountains of the mountains.
Dr. Khalid Khan said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s forests and grasslands are the first line of defense against environmental disasters. Its destruction is weakening the natural shield of the country, endangering lives, means of living and national security.
Without urgent leadership and coordinated action, Pakistan will continue to face floods, landslides and more frequent and destructive environmental emergencies.
