PESHAWAR, Nov 7: The need for shelter, firewood and wood for reconstruction by millions of people affected by the quake now poses a new threat to the surviving forests and that more people could die if the aid organizations do not pay attention to the environmental hazards resulting from the Oct 8 quake.

According to a joint “alert bulletin” prepared by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and CARE International issued here on Monday, forests that were carelessly destroyed or left in bad condition before the earthquake might have helped reduce the damage and loss to life from the quake.

Forest products are critical to the survival of disaster victims in the coming winter.

However, the bulletin states, unsustainable exploitation of the limited forest resources will add to the risk of landslides, erosion, droughts and floods. The report calls for measures to manage the forests in a sustainable manner for the benefit of the earthquake-affected people and to provide alternatives that will protect them from destruction.

The report has mentioned that the imminent onset of brutal winter conditions makes getting shelter and supplies to isolated quake victims at high altitudes an urgent priority.

The report also states that disease could spread from poor housing and sanitation especially in urban areas and new emergency settlements. Providing potable water from clean sources and proper sanitary conditions should be a top priority.

The bulletin also states that in the rush to beat the winter deadline, it is important not to forget the ongoing dangers resulting from the quake. The most critical of these risks and how to deal with them are landslides.

“It is likely that land sliding resulting from more aftershocks and heavy rains and melting snow will trigger mudslides, and shelters and roads on foothills and steep slopes are especially at risk,” the report says.

Temporary camps should avoid steep slopes, stream, and riverbeds where they may be at risk.

Floods could be another hazard, as rivers blocked by landslides can break free, are likely to be blocked by new landslides and snow. Debris from collapsed and damaged buildings has created garbage that now poses health hazards as well as environmental concerns. The report underlines the need for process to focus on re-use and recycling of the waste as much as possible. The debris, which cannot be reused, needs to be disposed off in an environmentally sound manner.

“In this situation of unimaginable misery and human suffering, it is crucial to focus on sustainable recovery and to prevent such new risks that might leave the survivors even more vulnerable,” the bulletin says.

The report also calls for staying out of damaged building in the face of aftershocks.