PESHAWAR: Over 200 wildfires damaged forests and pastures over an area of 14,430 acres in various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during past two weeks.

Of the 210 wildfire incidents, some 55 blazes have been started intentionally by local people and 12 ascribed to dry weather conditions while the cause of another 143 blazes is unknown, according to a report compiled by the provincial forestry, environment and wildlife department.

These figures are based on daily situation reports generated by the department between May 23 and June 9.

A spokesperson for the department, Latifur Rehman, told Dawn that rumours had been circulating in the affected areas that the government would pay compensation for any damage to forests due to wildfires.

Dept claims 55 of total 210 blazes started by locals

Quoting reports received from divisional forest staff members, he said it was rumoured that the government would pay Rs100,000 for a green tree torched in the forest fire, insisting there was no facts in such reports. He added that these rumours led to the 55 fire incidents started by people.

Mr Rehman said that the department had lodged FIRs and at least 21 persons had been arrested in connection with starting the blazes. He said that the rumours were unfounded and the government had not announced any compensation for trees damaged in wildfires.

He said that the forest department and the district administrations were investigating the causes of the remaining 143 fire incidents to ascertain whether such fires erupted due to human involvement or were caused by dry weather.

The report stated that majority of the blazes were ground fires, in dry grasses, with 68 per cent in communal and private lands and over 73 per cent of the affected area also either communal or private land.

According to the report, rising temperatures, a key indicator of climate change, evaporate more moisture from the ground, drying out the soil, and making vegetation more flammable.

At the same time, winter snow packs are melting about a month earlier, meaning the forests are drier for longer periods of time. As drought and heat continues with rising greenhouse gas emissions, the forestry department expects more wildfires in years ahead.

The report also carries data of Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), showing record lesser rains in the previous few months due to changes in the environment pattern.

It states that according to the PMD statistics the national rainfall for March 2022 – ranked 9th driest month since 1961 – was 62 per cent below normal, while rainfall was largely below normal over all parts of the country with Balochistan (-66pc), Sindh (-65pc), Punjab (-65pc), KP (-66pc) and AJK (-48pc), as all experienced extreme deficient rainfall.

National rainfall for April 2022 was 74pc below normal and it was ranked the second driest month since 1961, while rainfall remained largely below normal over all parts of the country with Punjab (-89 per cent), KP (-79pc), Balochistan (-78pc), AJK (-56pc) and GB (-51pc).

National rainfall for May 2022 was 48.4pc below normal while rainfall remained largely below normal over all parts of the country with Balochistan (-91pc), Sindh (-91pc), GB (-59pc), Punjab (-46pc), AJK (-37pc) & KP (-25pc).

The report also mentioned other reasons for wildfires, stating the forest dependent communities traditionally burn dry grass to get tender grass for livestock, which sometimes results in forest fires due to winds and casual attitude of the communities.

Similarly, due to increase in population the demand for agricultural land has increased manifold and fire is put to clear the land (April to June) for converting vegetated lands into agriculture fields – a reference to the grasses being put to fire.

The report states that due to local enmities conflicting groups burn the agriculture produce and trees of the other, resulting into forest fires as it might have happened in the case of Sherani and Shangla forest fire incidents.

Under the Billion Tree Afforestation Project (BTTP) and now 10-BTTP huge plantations are established on the property of the absentee owners in rural areas, which was previously utilised by other non-owners as grazing ground for their cattle. This has developed a personal conflict of locals, which might have resulted in the fire incidents.

The report states that population growth in itself along with investments in hospitality sector in hilly areas has caused private housing as well as hotels, etc to venture higher and deeper into the forests, mountains and wooded areas.

Further, due to no scientific harvesting, dead and rotting trees were lying aplenty as ripe material for fires.

According to the forestry department’s data shared with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly last year, forests spread over 815 acres were gutted in different fire incidents in 2020.

Published in Dawn,June 12th, 2022