GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan government is advancing a contentious 30-year forest management plan for Diamer district’s private forests, relying on outdated data from the 1990s. The move has sparked significant opposition from environmentalists and the Forest and Wildlife Department, who warn of potential ecological harm from felling up to 700,000 trees.
The plan aims to harvest around 40 million cubic feet of timber based on data collected between 1993 and 1998, which, according to former Forest Secretary Sumair Ahmed, contains over 18 identified flaws. Many recommendations for updating this data remain unaddressed. Forest assessments were reportedly conducted without employing modern scientific techniques like systematic sampling, raising questions about accuracy and validity.
Legal complexities add to the controversy. Though Diamer’s forests are privately owned by local communities as per the 1952 Accession Deed, the Gilgit-Baltistan government oversees forest management. Commercial felling was banned nationwide in 1993, with only a short period of logging allowed in 2000, and since then, vast timber reserves have remained unused.
In 2017, a revised 30-year forest management plan was approved by the GB Council, with strict stipulations to clear existing timber stocks before new logging could begin. However, Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan, reportedly invested in accelerating the plan’s rollout, is pushing for immediate implementation despite the lack of updated, local volume tables. The plan relies instead on outdated data from Punjab, raising further concerns among experts.
Journalist and activist Roshan Din Daimeri from Diamer criticized the government’s reliance on outdated data, despite a 2021 survey using modern GIS technology that was ultimately dismissed by the Chief Minister. This has raised concerns that government interests may align with timber mafias, especially as two retired forest officers, allegedly with past NAB cases, were appointed to lead a new team, sidestepping standard protocols.
The government’s insistence on using outdated volume tables from the 1990s is particularly troubling. Advanced volume tables developed for Gilgit-Baltistan in 2015 suggest that fewer trees could yield the needed timber volume, yet the government continues to prioritize the outdated data. This decision risks overharvesting and potentially devastating environmental impacts.
The altered felling schedule is another red flag. Originally designed to systematically span decades, the revised plan now fast-tracks timber harvesting, reallocating areas planned for 2030 and 2040 to as early as 2025. This disruption in the sequence threatens sustainable management, with long-term repercussions for local biodiversity and ecological balance.
If this plan proceeds, environmental activists fear irreversible damage to Diamer’s forests and a heightened risk to the region’s ecological future, with deforestation threatening species and altering climate resilience.
