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News of the Week

Forest Conservation through Technology: Punjab's Journey towards a Greener Future

Under the leadership and vision of the Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz, the Forest Department has introduced the latest drone technology for the first time in the history of Pakistan

International Forest Day

International Day of Forests is celebrated every year on 21 March. A resolution was passed in the United Nations General Assembly on December 21, 2012, making it mandatory for member countries to conduct systematic tree plantation campaigns. The day highlights the importance of forests and promotes global efforts for forest conservation.

Theme 2025: Forests, Crucial Ecosystems for Food Security

More than five billion people globally rely on forests for food, medicine, and livelihood. However, 10 million hectares of forests are lost annually to illegal logging, and 70 million hectares are destroyed due to wildfires.

Technological Advancements

Punjab Forest Department is monitoring 1.6 million acres of forests using modern technologies like GIS, Remote Sensing, LiDAR, and high-resolution mapping, revolutionizing forest protection.

GIS Technologies

For the first time in Pakistan, drone technology is used for forest change detection, drone mapping, and 3D modeling.

  • 50,000 acres of Murree forests mapped at 7cm resolution
  • High-resolution 3D mapping of Changa Manga forest completed
  • Regular monitoring of Changa Manga using GIS
  • Encroachment detection and natural resource management using GIS

Multispectral, hyperspectral, and thermal sensors are used to collect data from remote areas for forest and wildlife protection.

A digital record of century-old forest data is being created using GIS and drone technology for compartment-level mapping, tree density measurement, and species identification.

An Inspection Regime System app enables daily monitoring of resources, linked to officers' performance evaluations and KPIs.

A centralized digital system for budget allocation and monitoring is being launched.

LiDAR is used for biomass estimation without tree felling. A pilot study in Changa Manga was successful and will be scaled up.

An AI-based Early Warning and Detection System is under development to track forest fires with real-time monitoring and centralized control.

Helpline

A helpline for reporting illegal encroachments, land invasions, and tree felling to protect forest lands.

Call: 1084

Plantation Campaign

Under CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz and Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb's leadership, a large-scale tree plantation campaign is underway to fight smog and climate change.

  • 48,368 acres targeted with 42.5 million saplings under 'Plant for Pakistan' initiative
  • 1.4 million saplings on 3,790 acres under Agro-Forestry on Forest Wasteland project
  • 978 acres plantation in Ravi Urban Development Authority land

Without public cooperation, the Punjab government cannot succeed in its forest conservation efforts.

Celebrate Forests, Conserve Nature