Crisis in PoJK: Deforestation devastates environment and livelihoods

In Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), an alarming environmental crisis is rapidly unfolding. Once home to vast, lush forests, this region has seen its green cover decimated over the past several decades.

The rapid deforestation, particularly in areas like Chinari, has only exacerbated the crisis. As the forests vanish, so does the natural filtration system that once regulated air quality and helped prevent erosion, leaving the land more vulnerable to environmental degradation.

Arshad Rasheed, a local resident, shared a stark reminder of the dramatic change.

“In this region, 75 per cent of the land was once covered by forests, but today that figure has dropped to around 10 per cent. Before 1947, the region’s economy was heavily dependent on forest resources. After the region became part of PoJK, large-scale deforestation began, and the forest cover has been reduced from 75 per cent to just 10 per cent today”, he said.

The consequences of this widespread deforestation are most severely felt by the local communities who once depended on the forests for their livelihoods.

In Chinari, vast amounts of wood, remnants of the once-thriving forests, now lie rotting on the ground, untouched for decades.

While the government has imposed a ban on cutting trees in an effort to preserve the remaining forest cover, this policy has inadvertently worsened the plight of local residents, many of whom are already struggling with poverty.

Arshad explained the dilemma thus faced, noting, “People living near the forests need fuel for cooking and heating, but the government has made no provision to address this need. While the ban on cutting trees was intended to protect the remaining forests, it ignores the fact that people depend on these resources for their daily survival. Today, locals are prohibited from cutting their own trees, yet their fuel needs are not being met by the government”.

For the people of Chinari and other parts of PoJK, the issue is no longer just about conserving the environment. It has become a fight for survival in a landscape that has been stripped of the resources they once relied on.

With the forests gone and no viable alternatives in place, their future looks increasingly uncertain, as they face both environmental collapse and a lack of basic resources.