Combating Deforestation For Climate Change Mitigation – OpEd

The issue of deforestation has emerged as a crucial challenge as the world faces the increasing impact of climate change. Forests cover about four billion hectares of the Earth’s land, which is around 31% of the total land area.

Forests are considered as the lungs of the Earth and play an indispensable role in maintaining ecological balance and mitigating the effects of climate change. They act as carbon sinks by absorbing Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere and are home to biodiversity. Forests absorb approximately 7.6 billion metric tonnes of CO₂ per year, which accounts for about one-third of the CO₂ released from the burning of fossil fuels. Forests also produce approximately 28% of the Earth’s oxygen.

Despite their importance, forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate. Deforestation occurs in huge amount primarily for agriculture, logging, urbanization and mining. It is estimated that 80% of deforestation takes place to clear land for agriculture. When forests are destroyed, not only is their carbon absorbing capacity lost but the carbon stored in trees is released back into the atmosphere which results in increased global warming. According to a 2024 report of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), forests provide essential support and protection in countless ways, yet they are vanishing rapidly. Over the past 30 years, the world has lost 420 million hectares of forest, which is an area larger than India. 

Some developing countries have successfully overcome the climate change challenges posed by deforestation. From 1997 to 2015, Costa Rica managed to reduce 166 million tonnes of CO₂ due to deforestation and, since 2013, its land has become a carbon sink with 54% of forest coverage. Costa Rica implemented public-private financial mechanisms such as payments for environmental services, thus incentivizing farmers to opt for forest preservation. Its national strategy focuses on turning agriculture and livestock into carbon sinks by promoting agroforestry and silvopastoral systems. Silvopastoral systems combine natural forests with pasture and livestock within the same land management unit.

 Rwanda’s forest cover grew from 10.7% in 2010 to 30.4% in 2024. To meet its reforestation goals, Rwanda partnered with the World Resources Institute and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to create a Forest Landscape Restoration Opportunities Assessment (FLROA) by analyzing ecological, social and economic factors to identify implementation strategies. The country also established a National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS) which uses modern technology to track changes in forest cover, biodiversity and ecosystem.

Indonesia has made significant progress in reducing deforestation. Between 2015 and 2022, Indonesia achieved 64% decrease in its deforestation rate, making it a leader in this effort. In 2022, the country recorded its lowest primary forest loss ever. These improvements reflect a positive trend toward meeting the forestry sector’s goals under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of Article 5 of the Paris Climate Agreement. Article 5 aims to recognize the role of forests and promote the implementation of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). Indonesia established forest moratorium in 2011 to safeguard primary natural forests and peatlands. 

Pakistan is one of the countries that are severely affected by the consequences of climate change, despite contributing less than 1% of greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan ranked fifth in most climate-vulnerable countries in 2024. Global Forest Watch reports that Pakistan’s forests have decreased at a rate of 4% per year over the past two decades. Deforestation is therefore a major factor contributing to the effects of climate change in Pakistan. 

According to the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), “Ideally, a country should have 25% forest cover for a healthy environment. However, Pakistan has one of the lowest forestation rates in the world. About 27,000 hectares of forests are cleared every year in Pakistan.” According to PIDE estimates, “in 2021 just 4.8% of Pakistan’s land area had forest cover compared to 5.9% in 2000.”   

The distribution of Pakistan’s total forest area varies regionally. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has the highest share at 32.7%, followed by Sindh at 14.8%, Punjab at 12.4% and Balochistan at 11.1%. The share of Azad Jammu and Kashmir is 9.6% and Gilgit Baltistan 7%.

Experts estimate that 30% to 40% of trees in the Upper, Lower and Kalam divisions of Swat have already been cut down. A local journalist Adnan Bacha estimated in 2024 that between 500 and 1,000 trees are cut down everyday across the district. According to estimates by environmental experts, over 75,000 valuable trees were removed in the last quarter of 2024. 

According to the estimates of Global Forest Watch, between 2001 and 2023, the major urban regions of Sindh such as Hyderabad, Karachi and Sukkur were responsible for 60% of all tree cover loss. In Punjab, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sarghoda and Gujranwala were responsible for 57% of removal of tree cover. Deforestation causes a high amount of CO₂ emissions in Pakistan.

In 2024, the Government of Sindh launched afforestation campaign to increase the green cover of the province. The goal of this initiative is afforestation on 34,995 acres in the Jamshoro and Matiari districts. According to the Forest and Wildlife Department, the riverine districts of Sindh such as Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad, Naushehro Feroze, Larkana, Khairpur and Sukkur have been identified for a restoration project covering 88,002 hectares. By afforestation, Sindh can reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change. 

Even with these initiatives, Pakistan has one of the lowest tree counts globally, with less than one billion trees. Countries with the largest landmass have the highest tree total. Russia leads with 642 billion trees, followed by Canada with 318 billion trees, Brazil 302 billion trees and the United States 228 billion trees. As of 2023, the Doon-based Forest Survey of India (FSI) identified through remote sensing satellite data that the total tree cover of India was located at 827,357 sq km, which is approximately 25% land area of the country.

Forests play a crucial role in regulating regional climate, stabilizing temperatures and precipitation patterns. Pakistan needs to expand and strengthen its afforestation initiatives to enhance its tree cover to mitigate the effects of climate change. According to the Ecosystem Marketplace, the worth of one carbon credit equivalent to one metric tonne of CO₂ removal was approximately USD 4.73 in 2021, USD 7.37 in 2022 and USD 6.97 in 2023. Grow Billion Trees estimates that around 50 trees can absorb one metric tonne of CO₂. According to the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, under the Pakistan Carbon Market Policy approved in January 2025, the country can reduce carbon emissions and earn carbon credits from afforestation. By implementing this policy, Pakistan can significantly improve its tree cover, enhance biodiversity and contribute to global climate efforts.