ACCORDING to research conducted by conservation activists, mangroves have the highest rate of deforestation in the country. As per the study, Vanishing Riverine Forests of Sindh, details of which were published in this paper recently, forest cover in the country declined by 19 per cent between 1992 and 2001. It is indeed tragic that Pakistan has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world. The phenomenon is highest in the Indus delta region; one of the major factors contributing to deforestation in this area is the fact that not enough water is flowing in the Indus downstream Kotri. The ecological benefits mangroves provide are quite well known. These include protection against coastal flooding and erosion while the plants also act as barriers against storms and cyclones.

While dealing with some factors responsible for deforestation, such as climate change, is beyond human control, the state can surely focus on aspects that can be managed, such as over-exploitation of forests for wood. The research paper offers a number of solutions to stop this destructive process, such as a ban on conversion of forestland to other uses and the formulation of a forest management plan. Also, it is vital to involve and educate those communities living in or near forests on how to sustainably manage these valuable eco-regions. We must realise that if Pakistan’s forests continue to disappear at current rates, an environmental disaster is bound to strike, with desertification and increased flooding being possible outcomes. Thus, deforestation is an issue that affects the ecological stability of the country. If the mangroves and forests of other varieties continue to be chopped down, it will also have a negative effect on wildlife. It is still not too late to act; it is a matter of the official quarters displaying the will and inclination to preserve the country’s biodiversity.