Deforestation

1)
In Pakistan, deforestation is a prevalent issue resulting in environmental problems. 48% of Kashmir's(capital city) forest has been reduced to 44% over the last 20 years. In fact, Pakistan has been said to have one of the highest rates of deforestation in all of Asia. People rely on the forests for resources (wood, food, wildlife) however on 2.5 of the forest land there is an approximately 2.1 % deforestation rate.Over 151,000 hectares of Pakistani forest have been demolished. This is leading to climate change, soil erosion, and lack of biodiversity.

2)
Impacts of deforestation in Pakistan
Social:
-mountain/forest communities are suffering from a decrease in the natural resources that they rely on (wood, food, pasture)
-poor communities that rely on forests are being more affected by poverty
-as rarity of plant species increases, traditional healers can no longer utilize them and the historic knowledge of healing plants may be forgotten
Environmental:
-Lack of biodiversity
-Increases desertification and soil erosion
-Decrease in rate of rainfall
-Deforestation aggravates intense flooding
Economic:
-Floods resulting from/worsened by deforestation have inflicted $16 billion (US) worth in damages to infrastructure
-The overall rate of people fallen below the poverty line increases as natural resources decrease
3)
I believe that deforestation is a greater issue in Pakistan than it is in Canada. Based on the information provided, it is evident that Canada has a lower rate of deforestation occurring and logging is more regulated. In 1988 the first large illegal tree-felling occurred in Pakistan, ridding the country of roughly 400,000 cubic feet of forest wood. There was no punishment given to the industry that did this and therefore people continue to do this as there is no consequence. Canada on the other hand has very strict regulations utilizing less destructive methods of cutting down trees and facilitating re-growth operations. Furthermore, as the rate of deforestation decreases in Canada, it is increasing in Pakistan. This is evident in that Pakistan is literally falling apart in comparison to Canada. Pakistan's weather and precipitation is greatly affected by the deforestation in the country, floods are occurring, and people are living in poverty because of it. Canada seems to have the situation more under control.