PAKISTAN, from emerging terrorism, mounting religious fundamentalism, chronic water shortage, persistent energy crisis, institutional imbalance, political disparity but it just added another item to its grocery list of urgent priorities, vanishing forests.
Pakistan has few forests to begin with and they also are disappearing rapidly, currently the country is experiencing a deforestation rate of 2 percent annually- One of the highest in the region. The two possible causes of this disaster are illegal logging(smuggling) and clearing the land for agricultural purposes in the world but in Pakistan the first one is the major factor, because our existing agriculture land is not been utilized properly due to many problems, so the other option is out of question.
I belong to Manshera district of KPK, a major city of Hazara division and the gateway to the northern areas of Pakistan. Manshera has beautiful valleys, lakes, rivers, glaciers, mountains and forests, but the glaciers and forests are disappearing on a very fast pace- besides affecting the economy of the district, also playing a vital role in the climate change of the whole Hazara division. The timber mafia and forest division is responsible for disappearing forests and this will cause to melting glaciers, hence disturbing the natural beauty of the whole region. 10 years ago, if you visited Kaghan valley, there were six glaciers from Balakot to Naran, but surprisingly you will not find even a single one now on MNJ road. When more and more forests are cut down, the glaciers are melting, causes more floods, earthquakes and soil erosion at the banks of the rivers. Unfortunately we don’t have mechanism for coping with floods and storing water hence flooded plain areas. These all factors are correlated and causes disturbance to the ecological system. Deforestation also contributes generously to global warming, reshaping climate and geography, effecting water cycle, soil erosion and many indirect problems. Deforestation also destroys the habitats of millions of plants and animal species that need the forests to survive. It may lead to extinction of these species, causing havoc in biological food chains and the delicate balance of the eco system of the area.
In our area, I still remember the thick forests of Deodar and Pine family. In our childhood, we were so scared to go outside the house after sunset. The tree were so abundant that, when we were going to village in midday, we have to on the headlights of the vehicle, if clouds were present on the sky, but now unfortunately, you will barely find two trees where there were ten trees some years ago.
Timber mafia, corruption of forest department, unemployment and unawareness of the locals are the leading factors of deforestation in that area. In next article, I’ll tell the readers that how the mechanism of the timber mafia and forest department goes on parallel, and there negative effects on the society-specially on youth.
In last, I want to share the practice of my father with all of you and make an appeal from you that please make this practice a tradition and culture. My father planted a tree in the memory of a major event. On his graduation, on his engagement, marriage, my birth, on his parent’s death and many other occasions, a tree had been planted by him.
You all are requested to do this kind of activity; it will contribute to society, your healthy activity, a positive gesture to the event, making good memories and obviously greener PAKISTAN.
hostgator coupon code
