Countries

Forests and the forestry sector

Resources
Pakistan has very low forest cover. Natural forests represent just over 3 percent of the total land area, but their community and species diversity reflects the country's great physiographic and climatic contrasts. Pakistan's forest and woodland types include: littoral and swamp forests; tropical dry deciduous forests; tropical thorn forests; sub-tropical broad-leaved evergreen forests; sub-tropical pine forests; Himalayan moist temperate forests; Himalayan dry temperate forests; sub-alpine forests; and alpine scrub. Coniferous forests predominate. The North West Frontier Province contains approximately 40 percent of the forests in Pakistan.

Plantations are an important wood source in Pakistan. These fall into four categories: irrigated plantations; farmland trees; linear planting; and miscellaneous planting.

Products and trade
Woodfuels are very important in Pakistan. Around 90 percent of Pakistan's wood production is used as fuel, and almost 80 percent of households use wood for cooking. The majority of industrial roundwood is used to produce sawn timber. Pakistan also has small wood-based panel and paper industries. Imported wood pulp is mixed with domestically produced non-wood fibre pulp to produce paper. Pakistan also imports small quantities of logs, sawn timber, panels and paper.

Important non-wood forest products in Pakistan include food products (mushrooms, honey, nuts, vegetables, condiments), medicinal plants, essential oils, resins, and dyes.

Last updated: August 2001