ISLAMABAD, Jun 9 (APP): The country facing serious impacts of environmental degradation has managed to maintain a forest cover 5.45 percent after massive efforts through various nature protection efforts and awareness raising initiatives among the masses.
According to the Economic Survey 2021-22 launched by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail along with Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir, and Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Aisha Ghaus Pasha, the latest findings of the National Forest Reference Emissions Level (FREL), the country was maintaining 4.786 million hectare (5.45 percent) area under forest cover.
Within the forest cover area, dry temperate forests hold the largest share (36 percent), followed by sub-tropical broadleaved shrub (19 percent), moist temperate (15 percent), Chir Pine (13 percent), Riverine (4 percent), irrigated plantation (4 percent), thorn (3 percent), mangrove (3 percent) and subalpine forests (2 percent), said the the pre-budget document which shared key economic indicators and the performance of different economic sectors during the outgoing fiscal year.
The inadequate forest cover area due to growing population and dependence on the natural resources coupled with deforestation have rendered the country one of the most vulnerable to climate change effects. As a result, natural resources are under tremendous pressure owing to change of land use and habitat destruction and consumption of fuel wood and timber extraction. “Such pressures have rendered most of the forests of poor and medium density in need of drastic restocking on war footing”, it added.
