The recent devastating floods in Punjab have resumed the debate over the province’s lean forest coverage, with experts warning that it has reinforced the destruction scale. Environmentalists note that forests play an important role in absorbing rainwater, slowing down runoff and preventing soil erosion. Punjab’s forest coverage is far below global standards. According to the United Nations Benchmarks, at least 25 percent of a country’s land should be under forest cover, while only 3.1% land in Punjab is categorized as wooded. Punjab Forest Department states that the province has a total forest area of 1,663 million acres, dominated by scrub forests (41%), while private agricultural land contributes 27% through plantation. The rest includes river areas, rangelands and conifers. Director General of Provincial Forest Department Azfar Zia said large plantation drives were underway with 51 million plants planning to be planted on 40,000 Acres. The goal of the ongoing Monsun season is 21 million plants over 25,000 hectares, with 6.5 million already planted.
"In the spring plantation campaign we exceeded the target by planting more than 10.5 million plants," Zia added and noted that Agroforestry initiatives also engage farmers to plant trees in their countries. The official record shows that Punjab’s forest area has grown from about 701,000 hectares in 2013 to 1,263 million acres, while Golde Land has dropped from 960,000 hectares to 399,000 hectares. However, experts claim that progress remains inadequate. They point out that swelling of forest covering by even 1% would require about 43 new forests the size of Changa Manga, soil, for which the province is not available. National Project Director at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Asim Jamal, said that Punjab’s forest -clad country is only 0.45% actual wood. He emphasized that replanting the country was crucial. "Farmers and landowners must be convinced that trees improve soil fruitability, protect crops from disasters and can even generate income through carbon markets," he added. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan), the country loses about 11,000 hectares of forest every year. The most important drivers include uncontrolled logging, fires, climate change and transforming forest areas into agriculture and commercial use. WWF-Pakistan Director General Hammad Naqi Khan said, "Forest protection is not just an environmental necessity, it is an economically imperative."
He warned that large -scale felling of mature trees is composed organic losses, while shrinking green spaces in cities intensify the city’s flood. He called for stronger protection of ripe trees next to afforestation and urban green measures. The forest department says it implements modern technology for monitoring and protection. Satellite-based GIS monitoring now covers 67% of Punjab’s forest area, while AI-driven drones are used for fire surveillance. By 2024, 269 forest fire events damaged 6,500 hectares, but by 2025 the number of cases fell to 200 with injuries reduced to 2,500 hectares. Provincial senior minister Mariyyum Aurangzeb said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has for the first time banned the traditional auction system for forest streams. The new policy aims to limit illegal logging through transparent, technology -based monitoring and mapping. The government insists that the move is not only crucial to tree protection, but also important in reducing soil erosion. However, experts emphasize that large -scale afforestation in Punjab is limited by soil scarce.
