THOUGH ENVIRONMENTALISTS have rung alarm bells regarding the ever increasing negative impacts of climate change not only on the Earth but also on patterns of human life and equally on agriculture and the Pakistani governments claimed initiatives for the protection of environment, the progress in this regard still seems a distant dream. According to statistics, Pakistan has only 5.2 per cent of its total area under forests against the international criteria of 25 per cent. This major drawback does nothing but gives strength to the circumstances that encourage repeated natural disasters like storms, hurricanes, floods, land erosion and droughts in the country. Estimates establish that during the last three decades, natural disasters are five times more frequent and have killed or affected 70 times more people. Especially the developing countries including Pakistan are more prone to the natural disasters where the climate change has drastically affected the livelihoods as over 90 per cent deaths occurring during natural disasters are related to climate change. Where the unplanned and unchecked deforestation has contributed towards degradation of environment, the emission of toxic gases from industrial units is equally responsible in increasing changes of damage to Ozone that protects the Earth. This, no doubt, is a critical situation that demands of the government to adopt an effective mechanism to discourage deforestation activities through unplanned urbanization and increased commercial activities. At the same time, the lack of management skills of natural resources has emerged as a potent factor towards climate change. Currently, over 65 per cent Pakistans population lives in rural areas where wood is being used as a main mean of fuel and constructions that encourage deforestation. At the same time, as a collective responsibility the developed states must evolve a joint strategy and take initiatives to take along the developing states in protecting the global environment so that the survival of life at the planet of Earth could be ensured. Therefore, finding ways to maintain and increase forest resources is highly relevant in Pakistan. Increased reliance on these forests for wood products is regularly adding to other impacts related to land degradation, which in turn also have negative impacts on existing resources due to susceptibility to disasters, such as landslides, land erosions and flash floods. There is a need to build a wide-scale of understanding on the mechanism to fight deforestation within the country. The government must also rise to this critical situation and consolidate its efforts for the exploration of other resources like biogas plants or power generation out of litter to meet the fuel and electricity requirements especially in rural areas. This would consequently contribute in protecting the environment as well as ensuring the longevity of the life of the Earth.

By Web Team

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