With one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world, Pakistan's forests are in urgent need of protection and conservation. Pakistan is a semi arid country with less than 5% of its area under forest cover. At the global level, WWF is lobbying governments to establish an ecologically representative network of protected areas covering at least 10% of each of the world's forest types.

In 1993, WWF-P sponsored nation-wide research to assess needs and formulate projects for the conservation and sustainable management of important eco-systems. The Ecological and Resource Survey Report, for the Forest Conservation in Pakistan (1993) highlighted areas of concern. Projects have already been initiated for several forest types, including mangroves, chilghoza pine, juniper, and scrub.

The major threat to Pakistan's forests is uncontrolled and unsustainable cutting. Reasons for unsustainable commercial harvesting in state forests are:

• lack of political will and commitment
• poor planning
• unrealistic forest working plans
• weak implementation of forest protection laws

The primary causes of over-harvesting by domestic cutting in private and community forests are widespread poverty, population pressure, lack of fuelwood alternatives, and a lack of awareness about sustainable resource use methods. Uncontrolled use of pesticides, diseases and damage by insects, and fires are other causes of forest degradation.