Pakistan Features

8/3/2019 Pakistan Features

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Introduction toPakistanFACT FILE:

Total Area: 803,940 square kilometers

Land Area: 778,720 square kilometers

Coastline: 1,046 kilometers

Climate: Mostly hot, dry desert. Temperate in the northwest; arctic inthe north.

Terrain: Flat Indus plain in the east. Mountains in the north andnorthwest. Balochistan plateau in the west

KeyEnvironmental Concerns:

Water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, andagricultural runoff. Limited natural fresh water resources. Amajority of the population does not have access to potable

water. Deforestation, soil erosion,and desertification

Photo Credit: www.MountainZone.com

Pakistan, officially Islamic Republic of Pakistan, republic in South Asia, marking the area where South Asiaconverges with Southwest Asia and Central Asia. The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad; Karachi is thecountrys largest city.

The area of present-day Pakistan was the cradle of the earliest known civilization of South Asia, the IndusValley civilization (2500?-1700 bc). The territory was part of the Mughal Empire from 1526 until the 1700s,when it came under British rule. Pakistan gained independence in August 1947. It initially comprised twoparts, West Pakistan and East Pakistan, which were separated by about 1,600 km (1,000 mi) of territorywithin India. West Pakistan consisted of the provinces of Sind, Baluchistan, muslim Punjab, North WestFrontier Province (N.W.F.P), including all the princely states lying within the boundaries of West Pakistan. InDecember 1971 East Pakistan seceded and became the independent republic of Bangladesh. The presentstate of Pakistan is proving itself an independent and economically viable unit. Its economy has beenchanging from predominantly agricultural to a diversifies industrial complexion


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Background:

Geography ::PAKISTAN

The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating backat least 5,000 years, spread over much o f what is presently Pakistan.During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with themigrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions insubsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (whobrought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the

18th century. The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim stateof Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was neversatisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between thesecountries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad'smarginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistanbecoming the separate nation of B angladesh. In response to Indian nuclearweapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. India-Pakistanrelations have been rocky since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, butboth countries are taking small steps to put relations back on track. InFebruary 2008, Pakistan held parliamentary elections and in September2008, after the resignation of former President MUSHARRAF, elected AsifAli ZARDARI to the presidency. Pakistani government and military leaders

are struggling to control domestic insurgents, many of whom are located inthe tribal areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan.

Location:

Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iranand Afghanistan on the west and China in the north

Geographic coordinates:

30 00 N, 70 00 E

Map references:

Asia

Area:

total: 796,095 sq kmcountry comparison to the world: 36land: 770,875 sq kmwater: 25,220 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly less than twice the size of California

Land boundaries:

total: 6,774 kmborder countries: Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km, India 2,912 km, Iran909 km

Coastline:

1,046 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:

mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
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Section 2: Geography

Pakistan is situated between the latitudes 23 and 36North and between the longitudes of 61 and 75 East.It has an area of 796,095 square kilometers (kms).India is on its eastern border, the Peoples Republic ofChina lies to the north east. Afghanistan is situated onits northwestern boundary line while Iran shares borderwith Pakistan in the southwest. In north only a 24 kmlong Wakhan border of Afghanistan separates it from

the Tajikistan. Jammu and Kashmr is a disputedterritory located between Pakistan and India. Pakistancontrols a portion of the territory as Azad (Free)Kashmr and the Federally Administered NorthernAreas (FANA), while India controls a portion as thestate of Jammu and Kashmr.Pakistan extends some 1,700 kilometres northward tothe origins of the Indus among the mountains of theHimalayas, Hindu Kush and Karakoram. Many of theirpeaks exceed 8,000 metres including K-2, at 8,611metres, the second highest in the world. Pakistan has acoastline of about 1,046 kilometreswith 22,820 square kilometres of territorial waters and

an Exclusive Economic Zone of about 196,600 squarekilometres in the Arabian Sea.

The land mass of Pakistan originated in the continent of Gondwanaland which is thought to have broken offrom Africa, drifted across the Indian Ocean, and joined mainland Asia some 50 million years ago. With thecreation of a land-bridge between Gondwanaland and south-east Asia, Indo-Malayan life-forms are thoughtto have invaded the evolving sub-continent, and these now predominate in Pakistan eastof the river Indus.

The north and west of the country is dominated by Palaearctic forms. Some Ethiopian forms have becomeestablished in the south-western part. About 20 million years ago, the gradual drying and retreat of theSea of Tethys created the Indus lowlands, and a violent upheaval 13 million years ago gave rise to theHimalayas. A series of Pleistocene ice-ages, the last ending just 10,000 years ago, gave rise to someunique floral and faunal associations.References and Credits:Pakistan," Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2004

http://encarta.msn.com 1997-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.Biodiversity Action Plan for Pakistan 2000 by Government of Pakistan, World Wide Fund for

Nature, Pakistan and International Union for Conservation of Nature andNatural Resources,PakistanFirst National Report on the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, LEAD

Pakistan, Ministry of Environment and Local Government Pakistan and UNEPCOUNTRY REPORT BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION IN PAKISTAN, Ejaz Ahmad Conservation

Director, World Wide Fund For Nature - PakistanBIODIVERSTIY CONSERVATION IN PAKISTAN : AN OVERVIEW, Muhammad Ajmal Director(Industries & Ozone) Ministry of Environment, Urban Affairs, Forestry and Wildlife C/O Pakistan

National, Commission for UNESCOPakistan at a Glance, The World Resource Institute

Section 3: Natural Regions

Pakistan has great extremes of elevation, reaching the highest point at the Himalayan peak ofK2 (alsoknown as Mount Godwin Austen) in the north and the lowest point at the Arabian Sea coast in the south.

The Indus River flows the length of Pakistan from north to south. The Indus and its tributaries form a wideriver valley with fertile plains in Punjab and Sind (Sindh) provinces. Pakistan is mountainous in the northand west. Earthquakes are frequent, and occasionally severe, in the northern and western areas.Much of Pakistan is a dry, sun-scorched region. To the west of the Indus are the rugged dry mountains ofthe Sulaiman Range, which merge with the treeless Kirthar Range in the south. Farther west are the aridregions of the Baluchistan Plateau and the Kharan Basin. A series of mostly barren low mountains and hills

predominate in the western border areas. The Thar Desert straddles the border with India in the southeast

The country also possesses a variety of wetlands, with the glacial lakes of the Himalayas, the mudflats ofthe Indus Valley plains, and the extensive coastal mangroves of the Indus River delta. The wetland areascover an estimated area of 7.8 million hectares (19.3 million acres).

flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistanplateau in west

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 mhighest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m

Natural resources:

land, extensive natural gas reserves, l imited petroleum, poor quality coal,iron ore, copper, salt, l imestone

Land use:

arable land: 24.44%permanent crops: 0.84%other: 74.72% (2005)

Irrigated land:

198,700 sq km (2008)

Total renewable water resources:

233.8 cu km (2003)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 169.39 cu km/yr (2%/2%/96%)per capita: 1,072 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west;flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)

Environment - current issues:

water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff;l imited natural freshwater resources; most of the population does not haveaccess to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,Desertification, Endangered Species, E nvironmental Modification, HazardousWastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, ShipPollution, Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:

controls Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass, traditional invasion routes betweenCentral Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
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Pakistan has some of the worlds highest cold areas and numerous intermediate stages. Thus, within arelatively small area, it has the equivalent of many of the worlds most important climatic and vegetationzones or biomes. Moving from permanent snow and cold desert habitats, through alpine, mountaintemperate forests and tropical deciduous forests to the alpine dry steppes, the arid subtropical/deserthabitats, thorn forest, the reverain plains of the Indus and its tributaries and finally a rich mangrove andassociated systems along the coast.

Map showing extremes of elevation

Map Credit: WWF-Pakistan

Section 4: Rivers

The Indus River is the lifeline of Pakistan. Without the Indus and its tributaries, the land would have turnedinto a barren desert long ago. The Indus originates in Tibet from the glacial streams of the Himalayas andenters Pakistan in the northeast. It runs generally southwestward the entire length of Pakistan, about2,900 km (1,800 mi), and empties into the Arabian Sea. The Indus and its tributaries provide water to two-thirds of Pakistan. The principal tributaries of the Indus are the Sutlej, Beas, Chenab, Ravi, and Jhelumrivers. In southwestern Punjab Province these rivers merge to form the Panjnad (Five Rivers), which thenmerges with the Indus to form a mighty river. As the Indus approaches the Arabian Sea, it spreads out toform a delta. Much of the delta is marshy and swampy. It includes 225,000 hectares (556,000 acres) ofmangrove forests and swamps. To the west of the delta is the seaport of Karchi; to the east the delta fansinto the salt marshes known as the Rann of Kutch.
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Map showing river Indus and itstributaries

Map Credit: Pakistan Water Gateway(http://www.waterinfo.net.pk)

Section 5: Coastline

The coastline of Pakistan extends 1,050 km (650 mi), 250 km falling in Sind province and 800 km inBalochistan. It borders the productive NE Arabian Sea famous for its upwelling phenomenon. Its ExclusiveEconomic Zone (EEZ) covers an area of 196,600 sq.km. and the territorial waters cover an area of 24,000km2. The continental shelf of the Sindh coast extends to a distance of 150 km whereas that of Balochistanonly measures 15-40 km. The prevailing ocean current direction is clockwise during the southwestmonsoon season and anti-clockwise during the northeast monsoon season. The salinity value is generally36 ppt. Tides are neither very high nor very low, but intermediate; the mean average height is about 10-11feet. Tides are higher on the eastern side and their velocity is generally between 1-2 knots but mayincrease to 4 knots in narrow creeks.

The Makran Coast Range forms a narrow strip of mountains along about 75 percent of the total coastlength, or about 800 km (500 mi). These steep mountains rise to an elevation of up to 1,500 m (5,000 ft).Most of the coast is underdeveloped, with deserted beaches and only a few fishing villages.

The coast is rugged and tectonic in origin as evidenced by the uplifted terraces, headlands and flutedbeds. The mud volcanoes present along the shores further support this. The coastline is mostly bare desertwith unique landforms such as sandy beaches, mud flats, rocky cliffs, headlands, bays, deltas, etc. Briefdescriptions of these are given in the following section.Habitat Types along Pakistan's Coastline:BeachesSandy beaches are common along Balochistan's shores but rare in Sindh. Well-known beaches in Pakistaninclude Somniani, Hingol River, Ormara, Pasni, and Gawadar in Balochistan, and Clifton and Hawks Bay inSindh.
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Cliffs and HeadlandsRocky shores and cliffs are prevalent in Balochistan. They are generally composed of conglomerates of sofmudstone and sandstone, which are highly susceptible to erosion. Headlands are prominent in Jiwani,Pisukan, Gawadar Rasjaddi and Ormara, and are intervened by low-lying places comprised of alluvialdeposits. Irregular cliffs present at Ras Malan are a result of tectonic activity. Several deep-seated faultsare also evident. The Sindh coast on the other hand, is very poor in rocky shores. Buleji, Manora RockyLedge, Cape Monze, and a few other small sites are present in the extreme western part of the province.

The steep cliffs at Cape Monze are a trajectory of Mor and Kirthar Ranges, and are composed of hardlimestone.Bays and lagoonsBays and lagoons are protected bodies of water surrounded by land having an opening into the sea. Inbays, the opening is wide, whereas in lagoons it is very narrow. There are no bays or lagoons along theSindh coast, but several along the Balochistan coast, such as Gawadar Bay, Ormara Bay and SomnianiBay. Sandy coasts in a curvilinear pattern fringe the first three mentioned bays, which are slowly beingdestroyed by erosion. There are only two lagoons in the country, both of which are also located inBalochistan. These are the lagoons of Kalmat Khor and Miani Hor, which harbor dense mangrovevegetation on the insides.Mud FlatsMud flats are gently sloping, unconsolidated inter-tidal parts of estuaries, and are always occupied bymarsh vegetation. Tidal flats are the same except that they lack vegetation. The entire Indus Delta andmost of the Sindh coast is comprised of mud flats with mangrove vegetation. Mud flats are nonexistent inBalochistan except in Gawadar Bay, Kalmat Khor and Miani Hor lagoons.Mud VolcanoesMud volcanoes are conical hills or mountains with a crater on top through which they gently emit liquid,mud and gas. They are commonly associated with petroleum deposits, hence their presence indicates highpetroleum potential along the Makran coast. Mud volcanoes generally emit muddy and saline water, butoccasionally large masses of rock are violently blown hundreds of feet into the air. The gases that aredischarged include methane, ethane and traces of unsaturated hydrocarbons. Mud volcanoes are acommon occurrence in Balochistan but are not found in Sindh.EstuariesEstuaries are coastal embankments that receive substantial freshwater runoff from land, and experienceopen tidal circulation with the ocean. In other words, estuaries are the mouths of rivers opening into thesea. There are three major estuaries in Pakistan, the largest one being the Indus estuary on the Sindhcoast. The other two are the Hingol and Dasht estuaries both located in Balochistan.DeltasDeltas are an accumulation of sediments at the mouths of rivers where they empty into basins. Deltas

consist of three major parts: the delta plain, delta front and prodelta. There are several small deltas at themouths of seasonal rivers in Balochistan. However, one of the largest deltas in the world, the Indus Delta,is located at the mouth of the Indus River and covers almost the entire coast of Sindh. It forms aremarkably uniform landform with large extensive mud flats being intervened by narrow creeks, which areremnants of old, Indus tributaries. The western part of the delta between Phitti Creek and Karachi Harbor isnow abandoned, although at one time the Indus River used to flow close to Karachi.

Map showing coastline of Pakistan

Map Credit: Atlas of Pakistan, Survey ofPakistan
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Section 6: Mountain Ranges, Peaks and Passes

Pakistan has within its borders some of the worlds highest and most spectacular mountains. Some of thefamous mountain ranges of Pakistan are Himalayas, Karakoram, Hindu Kush, Sulaiman, Toba Kakar, Kirthaand Salt range.

The Northern and Western Highlands produced by the mountain building movement extendedfrom theMakran Coast in the south to the Pamir Plateau in the extreme north.The Northern and Western Highlandscover most of Balochistan, NWFP, Northern Areas (GilgitAgency) and parts of the Punjab. These can befurther divided into five physiographicentities:

Mountainous NorthKoh-e-Safaid and Waziristan HillsSulaiman and Kirthar MountainsBalochistan PlateauPotowar Plateau and the Salt RangesMountainous NorthIn the northern part of the country, the Hindu Kush mountains converge with the Karakoram Range, a partof the Himalayan mountain system. These ranges have a large number of peaks ranging from 6000 to8611 meters above the sea level. Pakistan has the densest concentration of high mountains in the world:five peaks over 8,000 meters (26,000 feet) and 101 peaks over 7,000 meters (23,000 feet) above sea levewithin a radius of 180 kilometers (112 miles). Thirteen of the worlds 30 tallest peaks are in Pakistan. Thetallest include K2 (also known as Mount Godwin Austen), the second highest peak in the world at 8,611 m

(28,251 ft), in the Karakoram Range; Nanga Parbat (8,125 m/26,657 ft) in the Himalayas; and Tirich Mir(7,690 m/25,230 ft) in the Hindu Kush.

The Mountainous North covers the northern parts of Pakistan and comprises parallelmountain rangesintervened by narrow and deep river valleys. East of the Indus River, themountain ranges in general runfrom east to west. To its west - from north to south - runthe following important mountain ranges:The HimalayasThe KarakoramsThe Hindu Kush

The western most parts of the Himalayas fall in Pakistan. The sub-Himalayas - thesouthern most ranges -do not rise to great heights (600 - 1200 masl). The LesserHimalayas lie to the north of the sub-Himalayasand rise to 1,800 - 4,600 masl. The GreatHimalayas are located north of the Lesser Himalayas. They attain

snowy heights (of morethan 4,600 m).The Karakoram Ranges in the extreme north rise to an average height of 6,100 m.Mount GoodwinAustin (K-2) - the second highest peak in the world - is 8,610 m andlocated in the Karakorams.

The Hindu Kush Mountains take off the western side of the Pamir Plateau that is locatedto the west ofthe Karakorams. These mountains take a southerly turn and rise to snowyheights. Some of the peaks riseto great heights like Noshaq (7,369 m), and Tirich Mir(7,690 m).Koh-e-Safaid and Waziristan Hills

The Koh-e-Safaid Ranges have an east-west trend and rise to an average height of 3,600m. They are

commonly covered with snow. Sikeram, the highest peak in Koh-e-SafaidRanges rises to 4,760 m.Similarly, the elevation ofWaziristan Hills ranges from 1,500and 3,000 m.Sulaiman and Kirthar Mountains

The Sulaiman-Kirthar Mountain Ranges extending from south of Gomal River, liebetween Balochistan

Plateau and the Indus Plains. On reaching the Murre-Bugti Hills, theyturn northward and extend up toQuetta. Further south, they meet the Kirthar Mountains,which merge in to the Kohistan area of Sindh. TheSulaiman Mountains rise to an averageheight of 600 m that decreases southward. Takht-e-Sulaiman(3,487 m) and Takatu (3,470m) are the highest peaks of the Sulaiman Ranges.Balochistan Plateau

The Balochistan Plateau is located west of the Sulaiman-Kirthar Mountains. Its westernpart isdominated by a number of sub-parallel ranges: the Makran Coast Range (600 m),and the Central MakranRange (900 - 1200 m). The highest peak Ras Koh, attains a heightof 3010 m.Potowar Plateau and the Salt Ranges

The Potwar Plateau and the Salt Range region are located to the south of themountainous north andlie between the Indus river on the west and the Jhelum river on theeast. Its northern boundary is formed
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by the Kala Chitta Ranges and the Margalla Hillsand the southern boundary by the Salt Ranges. TheKala Chitta Range rises to an averageheight of 450 - 900 m and extends for about 72 km. The mainPotwar Plateau extendsnorth of the Salt Range. It is an undulating area 300 - 600 m high.The Salt Rangeshave a steep face towards the south and slope gently in to the PotwarPlateau in the north. They extendfrom Jhelum River up to Kalabagh where they cross theIndus river and enter the Bannu district and rise toan average height of 750 - 900 m.Sakesar Peak (1,527 m) is the highest point of the Salt Ranges.Mountain PassesMany mountain passes cross Pakistans borders with Afghanistan and China. Passes crossing over the

mountains bordering Afghanistan include the Khyber, Bolan, Khojak, Kurram, Tochi, Gomal and Karakorampasses. The most well-known and well-traveled is the 56 kilometer long Khyber Pass in the northwest. Itlinks Peshawar in Pakistan with Jalalabad in Afghanistan, where it connects to a route leading to theAfghan capital of Kabul. It is the widest and lowest of all the mountain passes, reaching a maximumelevation of 1,072 m (3,517 ft). The route of the Bolan Pass links Quetta in Baluchistan Province withKandahar in Afghanistan; it also serves as a vital link within Pakistan between Sind and Baluchistanprovinces. Historically, the Khyber and Bolan passes were used as the primary routes for invaders to enterIndia from Central Asia, including the armies of Alexander the Great. The Tochi pass connects Ghazni inAfghanistan with Bannu in Pakistan and the Gomal pass provides an easy access from Afghanistan toDera Ismail Khan in Pakistan and the Punjab. Also historically significant is Karakoram Pass, on theborder with China. For centuries it was part of the trading routes known as the Silk Road, which linkedChina and other parts of Asia with Europe.

Map showing major mountain ranges ofPakistan

Map Credit:UNEP EnvironmentAssessment Programme for Asia and thePacific (http://www.rrcap.unep.org)

Section 7: Forests of PakistanThe forests of Pakistan reflect great physiographic, climatic and edaphic contrasts in the country. Pakistanis an oblong stretch of land between the Arabian sea and Karakoram mountains, lying diagonally between24 N and 37 N latitudes and 61 E and 75 E longitudes, and covering an area of 87.98 million hectares.

Topographically, the country has a continuous massive mountainous tract in the north, the west and southwest and a large fertile plain, the Indus plain. The northern mountain system, comprising the Karakoram,the great Himalayas, and the Hindu-Kush, has enormous mass of snow and glaciers and 100 peaks of over
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5,400 m. in elevation. K-2 (8,563 m.) is the second highest peak in the world. The mountain systemoccupies one third of this part of the country. The western mountain ranges, not so high as in the north,comprise the Sufed Koh and the Sulaiman while the south-western ranges forming a high, dry and coldBalochistan plateau. Characteristically, the mountain slopes are steep, even precipitous, making fragilewatershed areas and associated forest vegetation extremely important from hydrological point of view.

The valleys are narrow. The mountains are continuously undergoing natural process of erosion. The natureof climate with high intensity rainfall in summer and of soil in the northern regions render these mountainsprone to landslides.

The Indus plain consists of two features; the alluvial plain and sand-dunal deserts. The country is drainedby five rivers; namely, Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej. Of these Indus arising in snow coverednorthern mountain ranges flows towards south through the Punjab and Sindh plains into a wide deltabefore entering Arabian sea. Other rivers join it on the way, together feeding one of the largest irrigationsystems in the world. The great river system of Indus in Pakistan derives a part of their water supply fromsources which lie in the highlands beyond the Himalayas and the western mountains, and part fromcountless valleys which lie hidden within the mountain folds. Much of the silt of the alluvial plain is fromnatural geological erosion of mountains in the north brought down by rivers. Thal desert lies between therivers Indus and Jhelum, while Cholistan and Thar deserts occur on the south-east of the country.A great variety of parent rock types occur in Pakistan, which exert considerable influence on the propertiesof the soil. The rocks found in Pakistan can be classified into three major groups, viz. the igneous rocks,the sedimentary rocks and the metamorphic rocks. In the Himalayan regions, the common rock types aremetamorphic which are gneisses, schists, slates and phyllites with some quartzite and marble. In thenorthern part of Indus plain, between Sargodha and Shahkot small outcrops of phyllites and quartzitesoccur. Granite, syenite, diorite, gabbro, dolerite and peridotite are more common types of igneous rocks,which occur in Dir, Swat, Chitral, Gilgit, Zhob, Chagai, Las Bela and Nagarpark.Forest area of Pakistan reported in different official documents has varied over the years withadministrative and political changes in country as well as with changes in methods of reporting data.Different government departments have been publishing different forest statistics since 1947 whenPakistan was created as an independent country. Most recently, data of land use including forest areahave been reported by Forestry Sector Master Plan (FSMP) Project in 1993, with the help of LandsatSatellite Thematic Mapper Images at a scale of 1:250,000 covering the whole of Pakistan.

The total area of forests in Pakistan is 4.224 million ha which is 4.8% of the total land area. However, itmay be mentioned here that the farmland trees and linear planting along roadsides, canalsides andrailway sides covering an estimated area of 466,000 ha and 16,000 ha respectively do not constituteforests within the context of legal, ecological or silvicultural/management definition of forests. Thesituation is also similar, but to a lesser extent, in the case of miscellaneous plantations over an area of155,000 ha. If the area of these three categories of plantations is excluded from total forest area of 4.224

million ha, then the latter is reduced to 3.587 million ha which is approximately 4.1 % of the total area.Of the four forest cover percentage groups (> 70%, 40-69%, 10-39%, 0-9%), Pakistan lies in the lastcategory: 0-9%. Between 1981 and 1990, there had been a 4.3% decrease in forest areas of the TropicalAsia and Oceania, which Pakistan is a part of. During the same period, a 0.6% deforestation had beenoccurring each year. This is an alarming situation and needs to be stalled and then reversed, if possible.As recognition of the multiple values of forests has grown, so have concerns for their disappearance. InPakistan, subtropical, temperate, riverain and mangrove forests are being lost because of questionableland use practices and the ever-increasing demand for timber and firewood. As a result, more responsiblemanagement approaches are being demanded that can accommodate complex economic and ecologicalneeds. Designation of selected forestlands as national parks, area for agro-forestry practices and thedevelopment of plantations and afforestation practices are needs of the hour.

Total Forest Area under the control of the Forest Departments (including Azad Kashmir and the NorthernAreas) is 4.26 million hectares. The per capita forest area is only 0.037 ha compared to the world average

of ONE ha. Main reason for this is that more than 70% land area of Pakistan is Arid and semi-Arid withannual rainfall of 250-500 mm: too low and erratic to sustain natural vegetation and to planafforestation/regeneration programmes.

Forest Areas and Rangelands (in ha.)

F NPSBNATC12-1231I -18- 2- 2R-525- - 2S1311611C- - 3- - - 3M2- - - - - 2
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L 24- - - - 6P 1- - - - - 1R1247216T 1311351

The following forest types are found in Pakistan:

Littoral and Swamp forestsTropical dry deciduous forestsTropical thorn forestsSub-tropical broad-leaved evergreen forestsSub-tropical pine forestsHimalayan moist temperate forestsHimalayan dry temperate forestsSub-alpine forestsAlpine scrubLittoral and Swamp forests

These are more or less gregarious forests of low height which occur in the Arabian sea around the coast ofKarachi and Pasni in Balochistan. The main species isAvicennia marina (99%). Other species likeRhizophora have disappeared over a period of time due to heavy cutting. According to latest estimates,these forest cover an area of 207,000 ha.Tropical dry deciduous forests

These are forests of low or moderate height consisting almost entirely of deciduous species. Their canopyis typically light though it may appear fairly dense and complete during the short rainy season. This typedoes not occur extensively in Pakistan but there are limited areas in the Rawalpindi foothills carrying thisvegetation type, all much adversely affected by close proximity to habitation or cultivation. It is closelysimilar both in floristic composition and in structure to that developed freely in the adjoining parts of NorthWest India. The chief tree species are Lannea (Kamlai, Kembal) Bombax ceiba (Semal), Sterculia,Flacourtia (Kakoh, Kangu), Mallotus (Kamila, Raiuni) andAcacia catechu (Kath). Common shrubs are

Adhatoda (Bankar, Basuti, Bansha), Gymnosporia (Putaki) and Indigofera (Kathi, Kainthi).Tropical thorn forests

These are low, open and pronouncedly xerophytic forests in which thorny leguminous speciespredominate. This type occupies the whole of the Indus plain except the driest parts. The major treespecies are Prosopis cineraria (Jhand), Capparis decidua (Karir, Karil),Zizyphus mauritiana (Ber), Tamarixaphylla (Farash) and Salvadora oleoides (Pilu, wan). Among them are a large number of shrubs of all sizes.

The tree forest climax is very frequently degraded to a very open, low thorny scrub ofEuphorbia (Thor),Zizyphus (Ber), etc. owing to the universally heavy incidence of grazing and other biotic factors. Edaphicvariants, especially connected with degree of salinity, shallowness over rock, etc., often occur. Acharacteristic pioneer vegetation is developed on inland sand dunes and the semi-deserts of the areas ofleast rainfall.On the basis of climax vegetation, the whole Indus basin plain with the exception of parts of the districts ofSialkot, Gujrat and Jehlum, consists of tropical thorn forests. Prior to development of irrigation, agricultureand urbanization, the area extended from the foothills of the Himalayas and low-hills in the south-westPunjab plains and Balochistan to the Arabian sea. The climax species of these forests are Salvadoraoleoides, Capparis decidua, Tamarix aphylla and Prosopis cineraria, which grow on a wide range of soiltextures, from flat deep alluvial soils to heavy clays, loams and sandy loams. The climate varies from semi-arid (250 to 750 mm rainfall) to arid (less than 250 mm rainfall). The summer temperature in this tract isas high as 50C.

Earlier, these forests merged with riverain forests along the river banks and with scrub forests in the lowhills in the north and north-western regions of Pakistan. Together these forests provided an ideal habitat tothe wildlife of the area which seasonally migrated according to their needs; during cold winter from thelower hills towards the plains in search of food and shelter, from the flood plains towards the dry areasduring floods and towards the rivers during the summer drought. This is no longer the situation. Riverainforests now grow in the forms of disjunct patches over an area of 173,000 ha. Irrigated agriculture iscarried over 18.668 million ha. and irrigated tree plantations over an area of 103,000 ha in this tract.Sub-tropical broad-leaved evergreen forests

These are xerophtic forests ofthorny and small-leafed evergreen species. This type occurs on the foothillsand lower slopes of the Himalayas, the Salt Range, Kalachitta and the Sulaiman Range. The typical speciesare; Olea cuspidata (Kau) andAcacia modesta (Phulai), the two species occurring mixed or pure, and the
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shrub Dodonaea (Sanatta) which is particularly abundant in the most degraded areas. Total area of theseforests is estimated to be 1,191,000 ha.Sub-tropical pine forests

These are open inflammable pine forests sometimes with, but often without, a dry evergreen shrub layerand little or no underwood. This type consists of Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) forests found between 900 mand 1700 m elevation in the Western Himalayas within the range of the south-west summer monsoon. It isthe only pine of these forests though there is a small overlap with Pinus wallichiana (Kail, Biar) at theupper limit.Himalayan moist temperate forests

The evergreen forests of conifers, locally with some admixture of oak and deciduous broad-leaved treesfall in this category. Their undergrowth is rarely dense, and consists of both evergreen and deciduousspecies. These forests occur between 1500 m and 3000 m elevation in the Western Himalayas exceptwhere the rainfall falls below about 1000 mm in the inner ranges, especially in the extreme north-west.

These forests are divided into a lower and an upper zone, in each of which definite species ofconifersand/or oaks dominate. In the lower zone, Cedrus deodara (Deodar, diar), Pinus wallichiana, Piceasmithiana andAbies pindrow (Partal) are the main conifer species in order of increasing altitude, withQuercus incana (rin, rinj) at lower altitudes and Q. dilatata above 2130 m. In the upper zoneAbies pindrowand Q. semecarpifolia are the dominant tree species. There may be pockets of deciduous broad-leavedtrees, mainly edaphically conditioned, in both the zones. Alder (Alnus species) colonizes new gravels andsometimes kail does the same. Degradation forms take the shape of scrub growth and in the higherreaches, parklands and pastures are subjected to heavy grazing.Himalayan dry temperate forests

These are open evergreen forest with open scrub undergrowth. Both coniferous and broad-leaved speciesare present. This type occurs on the inner ranges throughout their length and are mainly represented inthe north-west. Dry zone deodar, Pinus gerardiana (Chalghoza) and/or Quercus ilexare the main species.Higher up, blue pine communities occur and in the driest inner tracts, forests of blue pine,Juniperusmacropoda (Abhal, Shupa, Shur) and some Picea smithiana (e.g. in Gilgit) are found locally.Sub-alpine forestsEvergreen conifers and mainly evergreen broad-leaved trees occur in relatively low open canopy, usuallywith a deciduous shrubby undergrowth ofViburnum (Guch), Salix(Willow, Bed), etc. The type occursthroughout the Himalayas from about 3,350 m to the timber limit.Abies spectabilis and Betula utilis (Birch,Bhuj) are the typical tree species. High level blue pine may occur on landslips and as a secondary sere onburnt areas or abandoned clearings. Rhododendrons (Bras, Chahan) occur in the understorey but do notform extensive communities as they do in the central and eastern Himalaya. Dwarf junipers are oftenabundant.Alpine scrub

Under this type are included shrub formations 1 m to 2 m high extending 150 m or more above the sub-alpine forests. The characteristic genera are Salix, Lonicera (Phut), Berberis (Sumbul, Sumblue),Cotoneaster withJuniperus and occasionally Rhododendron or Ephedra (Asmania).
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Map showing Forest area of Pakistan

Map Credit: UNEP Environment AssessmentProgramme for Asia and the Pacific(http://www.rrcap.unep.org)

Section 9: Climate

Depending on the topography, there is an extreme variation in the temperature of Pakistan. The countryis essentially arid except for the southern slopes ofthe Himalayas and the sub-mountainous tract wherethe annual rainfall varies between 760 and 1270 mm. This area has humid sub-Tropical climate. In theextreme north - because of great heights - Highland climate prevails. The controlling factors of the climateare:1. The sub-Tropical location of Pakistan that tends to keep the temperature high, particularly insummer.2. The oceanic influence of the Arabian Sea that keeps down the temperature contrast betweensummer and winter at the coast.3. Higher altitudes in the west and north that keep the temperature down throughout the year.4. The Monsoon winds that bring rainfall in summer.5. The Western Depression originating from the Mediterranean region and entering Pakistan from thewest that brings rainfall in winter. These cyclones make a long land journey and are thus robbedof most of the moisture by the time they reach Pakistan. 6. A temperature inversion layer at alow elevation of about 1,500 m in the south during the summer, that does not allow themoisture-laden air to rise and condensation to take place.

TemperaturePakistan can be divided into four broad temperature regions:

1. Hot summer and mild winter: 32o C or more in summer and 10 to 21o C in winter.2. Warm summer and mild winter: 21 - 32oC in summer and 10 to 21oC in winter.3. Warm summer and cool winter: 21 - 32oC in summer and 0 - 10oC in winter.4. Mild summer and cool/cold winter: Summer temperature between 10 and 21oC and wintertemperature between 0 and 10oC.
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Maps showing maximum and minimumtemperature regimes

Map Credit: UNEP Environment AssessmentProgramme for Asia and the Pacific(http://www.rrcap.unep.org)

RainfallThe major part of Pakistan experiences dry climate. Humid conditions prevail but over a small area in thenorth. The whole of Sindh, most of Balochistan, the major part of the Punjab and central parts of NorthernAreas receive less than 250 mm of rainfall in a year. Northern Sindh, southern Punjab, north-westernBalochistan and the central parts of Northern Areas receive less than 125 mm of rainfall. True humid
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conditions appear after the rainfall increases to 750 mm in plains and 625 mm in highlands. There are twosources of rainfall in Pakistan: the Monsoon and the Western Depression. The former takes place from

July to September and the latter, December to March.

Map showing precipitation regime

Map Credit: UNEP Environment Assessment Programme for Asia and the Pacific(http://www.rrcap.unep.org)

References and Credits:Pakistan," Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2004http://encarta.msn.com 1997-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.UNEP Environment Assessment Programme for Asia and the Pacific

Biodiversity Action Plan for Pakistan 2000 by Government of Pakistan, World Wide Fund for

Nature, Pakistan and International Union for Conservation of Nature andNatural Resources,PakistanFirst National Report on the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, LEAD

Pakistan, Ministry of Environment and Local Government Pakistan and UNEPCOUNTRY REPORT BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION IN PAKISTAN, Ejaz Ahmad Conservation

Director, World Wide Fund For Nature - PakistanBIODIVERSTIY CONSERVATION IN PAKISTAN : AN OVERVIEW, Muhammad Ajmal Director(Industries & Ozone) Ministry of Environment, Urban Affairs, Forestry and Wildlife C/O Pakistan

National, Commission for UNESCOAtlas of Pakistan, Survey of Pakistan

United States Geological SurveyPakistan at a Glance, The World Resource Institute
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Pakistan Features

Documents

Transcript of Pakistan Features