ack-to-back fires in the Musakhel forest in Balochistan have drawn concern over the loss of olive trees and irreplaceable habitat for the fauna.

According to Global Forest Watch, forest fires are Pakistan’s leading cause of deforestation. With only 5 percent of its land under forests, Pakistan has been losing a staggering 15,000 to 20,000 hectares of forestland annually, significantly higher than the global average of 33 percent. Since 2001, around 18,000 forest fires have devastated the country.

Most forest fires in Pakistan are triggered by human actions. The burning of flammable material by hunters and tourists as campfire is the most frequent source of forest fires. Most such fires are low-intensity ground and bushfires. However, the risk of high-intensity fires has been increasing. The 2022 blaze in the Sherani forest and later the 2024 recurrence were classified as a ‘crown’ fires that spread rapidly from tree tops, often moving ahead of the fire on the ground. Forest fires in Pakistan typically occur in two waves, the first during the summer (April-June) and the second during the autumn (October-December).

WWF Director (Forests) Ibrahim Khan says the Musakhel forest “is a tribal and communal property. Sheep and goat herding is the major occupation in the area. The animals graze in the Musakhel grasslands amid thick olive and acacia tree stands. The cattle herders, as a traditional rangeland improvement practice, set fire to the dry and desiccated grasses to generate new and fresh grass in spring,” Khan says.

Amin Mengal, the forest conservator in Loralai, says the September 2024 fire was the fifth in a series. The fire consumed the woodlands of the Ahmed Zai Sooryee area, destroyed tens of hundreds of olive trees over nearly 150 acres. Over the last year, such incidents have destroyed more than 450 acres of Musakhel forest.”

While the immediate loss of animal life due to forest fires may be limited, the habitat damage has far-reaching and devastating consequences for wildlife. WWF Forest Director Ibrahim Khan believes that such fires disrupt the delicate balance of ecosystems, leaving animals without access to food, water and shelter. The habitat damage, experts say, can also disrupt the migration patterns of various animals, making it difficult for them to reach their traditional breeding, feeding or wintering grounds. This will have a significant impact on the local wildlife, including Sulaiman Markhor and Urial.

In the aftermath of 2022 forest fires across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and the Punjab when over 200 blazes reduced around 14,430 acres of forests and pastures to ashes, the federal government had developed nationwide SOPs for forest fires. As a follow-up, the Balochistan Forest Department took the lead in developing fairly comprehensive Forest Fire Control Rules last year.

Apart from other interventions, the government outlawed barbecues and campfires and use of fire to deter wild animals. The burning of grass by grazers to encourage tender grass growth is also prohibited.

Firefighting in the region is basically through traditional and modest means. It is dependent on the voluntary force that is raised by the local community. Employees and officers of the Fire and Forest Departments are always part of the force. The teams formed under the deputy commissioner or the district fire officer are often ill-equipped to handle larger fires i.e. crown fires and are only effective against ground fires. The former category requires management through aerial platforms, such as water bombers and helicopters. Aerial platforms enable firefighters to access remote and hard-to-reach areas, making it possible to combat fires in their early stages.

Given the climate change and intense heat waves, it is imperative to build the firefighting capacity of the National Disaster Management Authority and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority.

Experts say it is also important to classify forest fires to help in effective resource allocation, prioritisation and firefighting strategies by classifying fires based on severity, intensity and spread potential.

By categorising forest fires, agencies can develop targeted strategies, allocate resources optimally and prioritise efforts to protect people, property and the environment sometimes well in advance.

According to Balochistan Forest Department sources, deploying a firefighting force alone costs Rs 100,000. The district forest officers rarely have adequate funds at their disposal.

“The operational budget for a Musakhel DFO is a paltry Rs 356,000 (other than fuel) out of the total budget of Rs 20.06 million. The larger chunk goes into staff salaries. When there are several fires in a year, the budget falls short to meet even the basic expenses,” they say.

Another serious concern is that the firefighting schemes are not part of the Public Sector Development Programme. This has resulted in inadequate funding, resources, and infrastructure to combat the devastating fires. The PSDP is a critical framework for development, outlining priority projects and allocating funds for implementation. The absence of PSDP funding for “fighting forest fires” restricts the availability of resources, including personnel, vehicles and equipment to combat forest fires effectively.

Carrying firefighting equipment to considerable heights is difficult. Mules are often used to transport water from nearby fountains or ponds. This adds to the complexity of the task.

The experts recommend keeping forest tracks GIS-marked and clear throughout the year to enable access to deeper and more challenging areas for fire prevention and control of fires. Maintaining fire lines is an essential part of any forest firefighting strategy. “It is imperative to employ GIS to mark all nearby fountains and ponds to meet the water requirements, the experts say.

The writer is a staff reporter at The News