An Overview of Deforestation Causes and Its Environmental Hazards in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa

Abstract

The current review study is design to highlight the facts, main causes and impacts of deforestation and forest degradation in Khyber Puthtunkhwa, Pakistan. This study is based on literature review. According to the findings of the current study the people are dependent on these forests and contribute to deforestation in one of different ways. The study shows that the extensive deforestation in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa occurred for household needs such as cooking, furniture, heating, earning etc. Another growing cause is the role of black marketing and stake holders on these forests. Meanwhile the ineffective management and ignorance of the forest department is one of the major contributing factors in deforestation. In addition to this, the nonscientific grazing is a key point in the deforestation. Unemployment and poverty is another attractive factor in the degradation of these forests. The most adverse impacts of deforestation in Pakistan are flooding, climatic changes, land sliding, land degradation, soil erosion and desertification. The underlying causes of deforestation in Pakistan need the attention of government authority to resolve these causes, implementing strong rules regulations in order to mitigate the adverse impacts of deforestation and save this ecosystem. Keywords: Deforestation, Causes, Environmental hazards, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa