Punjab began to formulate its 2050 long -term forest vision, aimed at prioritizing forest conservation and ecological balance rather than treating forests only as a source of wood. The initiative seeks to make forests a central pillar to combat climate change and the strengthening of ecological resilience.
To write this vision, the Punjab forest department has teamed up with the International Union for Nature Conservation (IUCN), which organized a two -day planning workshop in Lahore. The event brought together national and international experts, government representatives, academics and community representatives to contribute proposals.
The main provincial minister Marriyum Aurangzeb inaugurated the opening session alongside Dr. Satrio Adi Wicaksono of the IUCN Asia, the American expert Javed Ahmed, the forest secretary of Punjab Mudassir Riaz Malik and the representative of the Pakistan Mahmood Akhtar Cheema country.
Experts unanimously warned that without immediate action, Punjab would continue to deal with serious threats linked to the climate, including devastating floods and prolonged droughts. They recommended models such as urban forestry, agroforestry, community plantations and carbon credit forestry as viable solutions.
Mahmood Akhtar Cheema of IUCN Pakistan highlighted the role of technology in the expansion of forest coverage. “The IUCN is ready to transfer its global expertise to Pakistan, and the efforts of the Punjab in this direction are laudable,” he said, adding that no forest plan can succeed without community participation. He also noted that recent punjab conservation efforts in forestry and fauna had produced results “beyond expectations”.
She pointed out that the Punjab government, under the leadership of the Minister -in -Chief, pursues a complete environmental policy.
She underlined initiatives such as the Clean Punjab campaign, planting training, renewable energy programs, environmental funds and attenuation measures of air pollution as key stages towards a greener province.
Punjab forest secretary Mudassir Riaz Malik stressed that if the province extends over more than 50 million acres, the forest department only controls 1.65 million acres, of which only 1.25 million acres are wooded. “The remaining land lies under private property.
Without public participation, the expansion of forest coverage will not be possible, “he said. He also cited the census of successful fauna and the Plant for Pakistan campaign as examples of effective collaboration with IUCN.
Asim Jamal, director of the Green Pakistan program, added that a consortium led by the IUCN Pakistan is currently preparing political research that will serve as a basis for Forest Vision 2050.
Workshop environmentalists have reiterated the ecological advantages of trees, noting that forests reduce the impacts of floods by linking the soil, recharging groundwater by the absorption of rainwater and attenuating air pollution.
They underlined the need for urban green belts, agroforestry on agricultural land and plantations led by the community in rural areas.
Experts have also highlighted the economic potential of forest products such as honey, fruits and wood for rural livelihoods, while fauna specialists have warned that the narrowing of forests destroyed the habitats of endangered species.
Participants concluded that if they were implemented effectively, Forest Vision 2050 could not only extend the forest cover of Punjab, but also establish the province as a model of climate adaptation and ecological resilience.
