Analysing Institutional Set-up of Forest Management in Pakistan
Pakistan has 4.2 million ha covered by forests, which is equivalent to 4.8 percent of the total land area. Most of these forests are found in the northern part of the country (40 percent in the North West Frontier Province, 15.7 percent in the Northern Areas, and 6.5 percent in the AJK). This study will focus on the natural hill forests found in the northern region of Pakistan, particularly the North Western Frontier Province (NWFP).1 The total forest cover (4.8 percent) is low when compared with other parts of the world, 27 percent for the developed countries and 26 percent for the developing countries. Per capita forest cover presents a gloomier picture. Pakistan has only 0.03 ha of forest per capita while corresponding figures for the developed and the developing countries are 1.07 and 0.50 respectively.2 With a population growth rate of 2.6 percent, forest per capita is declining in Pakistan.