Government of Gilgit-Baltistan
Forest, Wildlife & Environment Department
Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Forest ecosystems, forest management and nursery development across a high-mountain region shaped by the Himalaya, Karakoram, Hindukush and Pamir.
Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) is located in the extreme north of Pakistan, beyond the effective reach of monsoon rains (between 35–37°N and 72–75°E), amidst the Himalaya, Karakoram, Hindukush and Pamir mountain ranges. GB has a total geographical area of 7.04 million hectares, dominated by mountains (34%) and natural rangelands (46%), followed by natural forest (3.58%). Cultivated agricultural land, farm forests, cultivable waste and uncultivated waste make up 10% of the area (GBFD, 2016). GB has an estimated population of 1.8 million with a low density of 25 people per km². With an average of only 0.10 ha of agricultural land per person, scattered across around 650 villages, dependency on natural resources remains high (GOP, 2019).
Based on ecological zonation, five main forest types exist in Gilgit-Baltistan: Mountain Sub-Tropical Scrub, Mountain Dry Temperate Coniferous, Mountain Dry Temperate Broadleaved, Sub-Alpine and Northern Dry Scrub. The landscape is dominated by some of the world’s highest mountains, with several peaks over 8,000 metres, separated by narrow valleys carved by the Indus and its tributaries. Much of the area lies in a rain shadow, receiving less than 200 mm of rain a year, though higher elevations may receive up to 2,000 mm of snowfall. The main habitats include the Dry Alpine and Permanent Snowfield Zone, the Himalayan Alpine Zone and Dry Temperate Coniferous Forests.
Pakistan has about 4.1 percent of its area under forest, much of it non-productive and unfit for commercial use beyond the domestic needs of nearby communities. Gilgit-Baltistan has almost the same ratio, though the district-wise share differs greatly: Diamer (30%), Astore (12%), Gilgit (0.5%), Skardu (< 0.5%) and Ghanche (< 0.3%). The farm-forestry component under the community sector is 0.66%, a fairly uniform figure for all districts. As the region falls in a rain shadow beyond the reach of monsoon rains, it is a cold desert whose extreme climate restricts the spread of forests.
The natural forests of GB cover 2,492.05 km² (3.58% of the total land) and fall into two broad categories: Private Forests and State-owned Protected Forests. Private Forests, which form 71% of the forest wealth, are privately owned and are regulated and managed by the department under the Accession Deed 1952 and the Gilgit-Baltistan Forest Act 2019. All forests in Diamer District are Private Forests. State-owned Protected Forests, found across Gilgit-Baltistan except Diamer, are those where the Government has proprietary rights and local communities have rights and concessions admissible under the law. Overall these are Himalayan dry temperate forests, with sub-alpine forests and alpine scrub at higher elevations and small patches of sub-tropical dry scrub along the Indus from Sumar Nala to Bunji.
Gilgit-Baltistan has an agro-silvi-pastoral economy practised for centuries. Local people grow farm forests for cooking and especially for heating during the harsh winter months. In the 1950s and 1960s the department established forest plantations along river beds, marginal lands and state properties to supply timber and firewood, reduce pressure on natural forests and conserve soil. Farm forestry gained momentum with the start of AKRSP in the 1980s, and the department has since promoted social forestry through government and private nurseries and incentive schemes. The department currently owns 66 government plantations and 56 nurseries across GB.
Gilgit-Baltistan is rich in biological diversity because of its extreme differences in altitude and the associated changes in climate, soil and slope exposure. Globally significant mammals found here include endangered species such as the snow leopard, Himalayan brown bear, Marco Polo sheep, Ladakh urial, flare-horned markhor, musk deer and woolly flying squirrel. Plants of great economic and conservation value include wild cumin, thyme, pine nuts and many medicinal species. To protect these resources, 5 national parks, 2 wildlife sanctuaries, 4 game reserves and 48 Community Controlled Hunting Areas (CCHA) have been created in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Statistics are reproduced from the department’s published forest page, which cites different reports and years. Check the underlying inventory before using these figures for planning.
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