Climate and forest cover changes in district Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan: A Community Perspective

Climate and forest cover changes in district Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan: A Community Perspective



Rehana Batool, Tika Khan, Rehmat Karim, Sultan Ahmed



The country, Pakistan has only five percent (5%) land cover is under
forest which is on decline rapidly. Most of the forest is in the
northern areas but several factors are influencing negatively. Climate
change phenomenon has expedited deforestation. With increase in
population, pressure on forest in Baltistan has also increased while
climate change factors are unfavorable for its regeneration. Present
study was aimed at investigation into community perception on climate
change and forest cover changes in district Skardu, Baltistan. Research
revealed that forest cover has on decline (either highly decreasedor
decreased) like vegetation cover which has also decreased, particularly
near villages more as compared to pastures. Similarly, temperature has
increased in winter and spring as compared to summer and autumn.
Snowfall has decreased during spring more as compared to winters.
Contrast to snowfall, rainfall has increased in spring followed by
winter, autumn and summer. Glacier sizes are shrinking and monsoon
floods have highly increased flowed by melt water increase in channels.
Due to change in other climatic factors, crop sowing, fruiting and
harvesting periods have prolonged and have a backward shifting trend.
Diseases on the plants have increase but in contrast annual yield has
increased. Overall indigenous biodiversity has decreased but new bird
species have increased. We conclude that there is a visible but
unfavorable change is underway forcing every corner of life to shift and
adjust itself with new adaptation strategies. Agro pastoral communities
in the area feel a threat to their livelihood options if these pathetic
changes continue in the future as their reliance has increased on
natural resources and ecosystem services for their survival. Climate
change and forest decline are some physically verifiable factors and
phenomenon and not a simple scientific theory in the lives of rural
communities of Baltistan like rest of Gilgit-Baltistan. Government,
non-government and civil society organizations need to consider
diversification of livelihood options and impacting on adverse factors
contributing into climate change undesirably in the area. 



10.22161/ijeab/1.4.40



http://ijeab.com/upload_document/issue_files/40%20IJEAB-DEC-2016-23-Climate%20and%20forest%20cover%20changes%20in%20district%20Skardu,%20Gilgit-Baltistan,%20Pakistan_%20A%20Community%20Perspective.pdf



http://ijeab.com/submit-paper/

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