Pakistan is losing an estimated 11,000 hectares of forest area every year due to persistent deforestation, according to data released in the Pakistan Economic Survey 2026. The survey warns that the continued decline in forest cover is posing serious risks to the country’s ecological balance. Pakistan’s total forest area currently stands at around 4.11 million hectares, covering only 4.7 percent of the country’s total land area.

Pakistan is losing an estimated 11,000 hectares of forest area every year due to persistent deforestation, according to data released in the Pakistan Economic Survey 2026.

The survey warns that the continued decline in forest cover is posing serious risks to the country’s ecological balance. Pakistan’s total forest area currently stands at around 4.11 million hectares, covering only 4.7 percent of the country’s total land area.

Coniferous forests account for the largest share of the country’s forest cover, followed by scrub forests, riverine forests, mangroves, and irrigated plantation forests.

The official document noted that these forest resources remain under intense pressure despite their importance for environmental protection, biodiversity, water regulation, and livelihoods.

To tackle deforestation and improve climate resilience, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination is working with provincial and territorial governments on large-scale afforestation and ecosystem restoration initiatives.

The Green Pakistan Program remains the central part of these efforts. The program, backed by a budget allocation of Rs. 122.15 billion, has overseen the planting, regeneration, or distribution of nearly 2.26 billion plants across the country.

However, the survey said Pakistan continues to remain highly vulnerable to climate change. This vulnerability is linked to low forest cover, rapid land-use changes, population growth, rural poverty, and heavy dependence on natural resources.

Although the forestry sector directly contributes only around 0.5 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product, its wider economic value is much higher.

The survey estimated the value of forest ecosystem services at 11.48 percent of GDP. These services include environmental protection, water regulation, biodiversity support, and livelihood benefits.

The findings show that while commercial logging adds little to the economy, Pakistan’s long-term environmental sustainability and economic well-being are closely tied to the protection of its shrinking forest resources.

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