Snowless winter increases risks of drought, early summer: Whopping plantation a viable solution
PESHAWAR (APP): A drastic shortage of winter rains and snowfalls has raised deep concerns over the increasing risk of desertification and drought in Pakistan, experts warn.
As the country grapples with changing weather patterns including early rise of temperature, urgent action such as large-scale plantations is being suggested by environmental experts as a viable solution to combat this climate change-induced challenges.
Pakistan, ranking among the top 10 most vulnerable nations to the effects of climate change, has experienced a significant reduction in rainfall and snowfall in recent years. This decline is attributed to deforestation and global warming, leading to changes in the country’s weather cycle.
Afsar Khan, Deputy Director of the Department of Climate Change, Forest and Environment, told APP that recent weather patterns indicated a shift in the timing of seasonal rains in Pakistan.
“In the past, winter rains and snowfalls would begin by the end of December,” he said. “However, in 2024, the rain cycle altered, with the first winter rains arriving only in January. As of now, this year’s winter rains have yet to fully commence in Pakistan. This delay significantly raises the risk of drought and desertification, particularly in southern Pakistan, which is highly dependent on glacier-fed water from the Indus River.
While the northern and mountainous regions of Pakistan have received some sporadic rainfall and snowfall this winter, the plains, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Punjab, have faced a substantial shortfall.
According to the Met Office, the country has experienced a 40 percent decrease in rainfall compared to its 30-year historical average, with particularly dry conditions in the Pothar region.
The absence of adequate snowfall and rainfall last year in areas such as Malakand, Hazara, and northern Punjab led to unusually intense sun heat during February and March, exacerbating the situation. “The lack of winter precipitation is now threatening food security, making it imperative to undertake massive plantation initiatives to counter the growing environmental challenges,” Afsar Khan emphasized.
Gulzar Rehman, a former Conservator of Forests, echoed these concerns, noting that the absence of winter snow could lead to greater desertification, land degradation, and drought (DDLD). If left unaddressed, these issues could result in economic losses amounting to $42 billion annually, while an estimated six million hectares of productive land could be lost to DDLD each year worldwide.
“DDLD poses a significant threat to agricultural land in arid and semi-arid regions, with Pakistan being no exception” Gulzar Rehman said, adding approximately two-thirds of the country’s agricultural land and 80 percent of its arid and semi-arid areas are vulnerable to DDLD, exacerbated by reduced rainfall, snowfalls, and illegal deforestation practices.
The National Forests Policy reveals that Pakistan loses about 27,000 hectares of forest annually, particularly in community-managed forests in KP and Gilgit Baltistan.
To tackle these pressing issues, the government has taken solid steps such as the Sustainable Land Management Project (SLMP), launched by the Nawaz Sharif government in 2014. The project initially focused on rehabilitating over 12,000 hectares of degraded rangeland in nine dryland districts. Over the course of its first phase, the project expanded to include measures for sustainable agriculture and water conservation across an additional 8,000 hectares.
Following the success of SLMP Phase-I, the government launched Phase-II to extend efforts to 14 districts prone to desertification. These districts included regions in Punjab, Sindh, KP, and Balochistan—specifically targeting high-risk areas like Chakwal, Bhakkar, Tharparkar, and Omarkot.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, initiatives like the “REDD+” (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) strategy and the Green Growth Initiative (GGI) are part of broader efforts to address deforestation and promote sustainable development.
Under the Billion Trees Afforestation Project (BTAP), 10 new forest reserves have been established in KP, increasing the province’s forest coverage from 20 percent in 2017 to 26.7 percent today.
Ibrahim Khan, Deputy Director of the Forest Department, confirmed that the provincial government has invested approximately Rs. 675 billion in forest protection and promotion since 2017.
These investments aim to enhance the resilience of the region’s ecosystems, improve water retention, and ultimately prevent further land degradation.
The experts urged the government to expand and accelerate large-scale afforestation and sustainable land management projects to safeguard Pakistan’s environment.
The continued shortage of rainfall and snowfalls demands an urgent response to avoid further environmental and economic losses as the country faces the escalating threats of DDLD.
