Exploring KP’s Forests’ Carbon Stocks Imperative

APP

Peshawar: Driven by high population growth and climate change vulnerabilities, Pakistan is losing about 27,000 hectares of forest per year mostly in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, making an adverse effect on the carbon sequestration process, which resulted in an increased temperature.

According to National Forest Policy 2015, the axing of forests mostly in community and private lands in KP and G-B owing to rapid population growth and poverty has increased chances of floods and glaciers melting due to climate change susceptibility besides made negative effects on carbon sequestration.

“Carbon sequestration is very important for humans, animals and even aquatic resources as it helps make our environment clean and control temperature,” said former Chief Conservator Wildlife Dr Muhammad Mumtaz Malik.

Dr Malik said it was the process of capturing, securing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere that makes our planet worth living. In case the carbon sequestration process was affected then temperatures would rise, chances of floods to increase due to fast melting of glaciers and heat stroke would substantially rise.

“Trees purify the environment after absorbing carbons and produce oxygen,” he said, adding that the international companies provide payment as carbon credits to developing countries due to extra discharge of fossil and fuels besides gas emissions.

KP and G-B is blessed with around 3,000 lakes out of which 33 were most vulnerable due to climate change, the Conservator said.

Carbon sequestration is very important for humans, animals, and even aquatic resources as it helps make our environment clean and control temperature: Former Chief Conservator Wildlife Dr Muhammad Mumtaz Malik

He said chances of Glacial Lakes Outburst Floods (GLOF) in Chitral, Swat and G-B have enhanced due to the rapid melting of glaciers in down valleys of northern KP due to deforestation.

“The developed countries are earning millions of dollars due to industrialization and economic projects and give low financial assistance to poor countries as carbon credits that need to be enhanced,” he said.

Environment and Wildlife Department Secretary Forestry Abid Majeed disclosed that KP was blessed with ecological diversity and forest resources as 45 per cent of the country’s forest cover was here.

Highlighting KP’s carbon potential stocks, the Secretary said 51 per cent of the country’s forest carbon stocks were present in KP. In Pakistan, he said most of the carbon-dense forests were temperate forests KP contains about 170 tons of carbon per hectare.

“Avoiding one-hectare deforestation means emission reduction of 367 tons of carbon dioxide.”  Through natural forests and massive plantations on vast areas achieved under billion tree project having a potential of annual carbon sequestration i.e. 11.20 million tons and gets stock of 194.31 million tons including 67.60 million tons in Hazara division, 73.25 million tons in Malakand division, 3.87 million tons in southern belt and 49.60 million tons carbon in merged tribal districts.

KP and G-B are blessed with around 3,000 lakes out of which 33 were most vulnerable due to climate change: Dr Muhammad Mumtaz Malik

The secretary said historically, there have been emissions of four million tons of carbon dioxide per year from deforestation and degradation before 2012, which have been reduced up to 50 per cent, which resulted in an emission reduction of two million tons per year.

He said protected areas have increased from 10 per cent to over 15.6 per cent which has positive effects on emissions reduction, adding due to forest conservation and improved forest management natural forests sequester about eight million tons of carbon dioxide per year. He said afforestation projects have been implemented like BTAP and 10 BTTAP, which will result in carbon sequestration of five million tons of carbon dioxide.  He said the forest department had conducted forest carbon stock assessments in all forest regions and developed carbon tables for 15 major tree species.

Besides establishing a satellite land monitoring system in collaboration with SUPARCO for continuous monitoring of forest cover changes, he said the forest department was tasked to create a gateway for carbon offset buyers and for national and international investors to channel finance towards carbon sequestration projects. He said the department was increasing the registration of projects in the voluntary carbon market by focusing on ecosystem restoration.

Besides exploring alternative sources of sustainable energy and also exploring non-timber forestry products (NTFP), he said the department was registering other sources of carbon credits and renewable energy for sustainable income.

Preventing 1-hectare deforestation means emission reduction of 367 tons of carbon dioxide: EWD Secretary Forestry Abid Majeed

Understanding the need for mapping out carbon potential of KP, he underlined the need for conducting surveys to identify potential sources of climate finance generation including existing renewable energy sites, existing forestry and potential afforestation sites.

The senior official said there was a need to develop a carbon offset development framework and conduct preliminary carbon sequestration assessments to confirm the viability of each site for generating carbon offsets.

A liaison with verified carbon standards for accreditation of offsets based on findings of study and development of a master plan for the harnessing of carbon finance must be prioritized.

Abid Majeed said the government encouraged the private sector and investors to bring funding from national and international markets under carbon offsets generation for the benefit of the masses.